Columbus is hauling lead manufacturers and miners into court, arguing they should help pick up the tab for ripping toxic pipes out of the city’s drinking water system.
The civil complaint, filed Thursday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, asks a judge to make the companies tied to the lead in city water service lines help reimburse Columbus for removing and replacing those pipes. The lawsuit targets the lead and galvanized service lines that run from city mains to private homes, and City Attorney Zach Klein’s office is pitching the case as a cost-recovery move aimed at the businesses that supplied or mined the lead used in the system.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, the suit names manufacturers and miners and asks the court to make them reimburse the city for replacement work on both the public and private sides of service lines. Klein’s office told the paper this is a first-in-the-country approach to holding companies responsible for manufacturing and mining the lead used in Columbus’ water service pipes.
Why the city is suing
Columbus launched a citywide Lead Service Line Replacement Program last year, a multi-year effort city officials estimate will cost about $1 billion as crews work through thousands of lead and galvanized lines before a federal deadline hits. The program is set up so that, when a street is scheduled, eligible service lines are replaced at no direct cost to the homeowner, according to the city's Lead Service Line Replacement Program page.
What the complaint asks for
The lawsuit seeks monetary relief to cover the city’s replacement costs and asks the court to require the defendants to contribute to the program’s budget, according to the filing. Klein’s office told reporters the goal is to hold the supply chain accountable for damages tied to a hazardous product that was placed into commerce, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch.
How big the problem is
City records show almost 25,000 verified lead service lines, roughly 14,000 galvanized lines and tens of thousands of homes where the pipe material is listed as “unknown,” Axios reported. WOSU also reported that Columbus removed about 2,100 lines last year and expects to reach roughly 5,000 replacements per year once the program hits full speed, underscoring the scale of the work still ahead.
National backdrop
The case is landing at a time when the country is under pressure to get lead out of drinking water faster. The EPA has defended a rule that backs a 10-year deadline for replacing lead pipes, according to AP News. Columbus has gone this route before, using litigation to chase corporate accountability in other contamination fights, including a lawsuit and settlement involving so-called “forever chemicals,” showing the city has turned to the courts to recoup public costs in past pollution cases, per the city’s press release about the 3M settlement.
What residents should know
For homeowners, the city’s message is straightforward: when your street comes up on the schedule, Columbus will replace qualifying service lines at no cost, but residents need to sign a work agreement to participate. The city also offers a searchable service-line inventory map and a hotline for questions. For details or to see what kind of pipe serves your address, check out the information on the city's Lead Service Line Replacement Program page.
