No Lead Lines -City of Albert Lea

City Replacing Lead Water Lines

The Albert Lea Utilities Department is taking part in a federal and state effort to reduce lead in drinking water. New federal rules require the City of Albert Lea to develop an inventory to identify lines made of lead or galvanized material. These lines will then need replacing. Service lines are underground pipes that connect homes and businesses with water mains. Galvanized material is a metal coated with zinc to prevent rusting and corrosion. Galvanized material may absorb lead.

Lead service lines are a concern because exposure to this metal may cause serious health effects. The City of Albert Lea is not aware of any health effects related to its drinking water. The city must test its drinking water for contaminants every year and the water meets all standards set by the Minnesota Department of Health, including lead.

Residents can also take simple steps to reduce lead in their drinking water:

Use a filter
Let water run to flush the home’s pipes before using the water for drinking or cooking
Use cold water from the tap for drinking, cooking and making baby formula
Clean the screen on faucets, called aerators, to prevent lead particles trapped in the screen from getting into drinking water.

Multi-Year Project Underway

Lead was commonly used for water service lines in the early 1900s. The federal government banned the use of lead materials in new plumbing systems in 1986. Property owners and the City of Albert Lea have replaced many of the lines over the past several years. The Minnesota Department of Health is implementing a multi-year program to help ensure all lead lines are replaced.

Do you have a lead service line? Check the status of your property’s service line by visiting this online map tool and searching for your address.

The Albert Lea Utilities Department plans to use a $1.5 million grant from the Minnesota Department of Health to identify and replace lead lines. To inform property owners of the upcoming project, the city mailed notices to property owners with water lines known to be lead or galvanized material that need replacement. The city also mailed notices to property owners with lines of unknown material that the city will need to verify whether made of lead. The city will mail additional notices to affected property owners when starting the project.

The City of Albert Lea has submitted its service line materials inventory to the Minnesota Department of Health. The service line inventory is publicly available, and you can check the materials for your service line by visiting the Lead Inventory Tracking Tool. You may also contact the Albert Lea Utilities Department at 507-377-4377. To complete the service line inventory, the City of Albert Lea used records and visual inspections of service lines. The city is continuing to update its inventory. As of Oct. 16, 2024, Albert Lea’s inventory includes 140 lead/galvanized lines that require replacement, 1,360 lines of unknown material, and 4,648 non-lead residential service lines.

For more information Call the Albert Lea Utilities Department at 507-377-4377.Check the status of your property’s service line by visiting this online map tool and searching for your address.Follow the “City of Albert Lea-City Hall” on Facebook or Instagram, or subscribe to the free weekly email newsletter, The Week-Lea. The City will provide community-wide updates on this project on social media and in the newsletter.

Read Albert Lea’s 2024 Drinking Water Report

Additional Resources

Minnesota Department of Health:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

Frequently Asked Questions

Check the Minnesota Department of Health map online, developed by the University of Minnesota with data from local government units. Use the search tool to find your address. Or you can call the Albert Lea Utilities Department at 507-377-4377.

If your line is listed as “unknown” in the inventory, you can follow the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guide for checking the material of your water service line. The City of Albert Lea will also check the material of your service line as part of the effort to replace all lead lines.

The City of Albert Lea will start replacing lead and galvanized service lines when the State of Minnesota releases grant funds to start the program. The City hopes to receive the grant by the end of 2025. The City will mail notices to affected property owners when starting replacements.

The City will first replace water service lines that are known to be lead or galvanized. Then the City will focus on verifying lines listed as unknown. The current grant will cover about 170 service lines.

Water service lines have dual ownership. The public portion, from the curb stop to the water main, is the responsibility of the City of Albert Lea while the privately owned portion of the service line, from the curb stop to the home, is the responsibility of the property owner.

Under the lead removal program, any part of the line that contains lead – either public, private or both – will be replaced. Property owners will need to sign an agreement allowing the City to conduct work on their property for replacing both public and private portions of their service line. As long as the City has grant funds, there will be no charge to the property owner.

No, any replacements or repairs made by the property owner outside of the lead removal program are not eligible for reimbursement.

Residents will receive a letter from the Albert Lea Utilities Department notifying them that their water service line is included in the City’s replacement program. They will need to sign a form to allow the City’s licensed plumber to work on their property and access their home to inspect and replace the service line.

The City and property owners have replaced many lead lines over the past several years. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring each state to replace all remaining lead water lines. The goal is to eliminate all lead water lines by 2033.

If the City has no documentation of the material of your water service line, then it listed the line as “unknown.” That means the City needs to verify whether it’s made of lead or other material. The City plans to verify the material of all unknown service lines. If made of lead or galvanized material, the lines will need to be replaced. If made of copper or plastic, then no replacement is needed.

The least common type of service line is lead. Copper is the most common and plastic is the industry standard. Lead lines are typically found in houses built before the 1940s with the original service line still in use.

Lead can accumulate in the body over time, causing permanent health effects. Adults may experience high blood pressure and kidney damage while infants and children are at risk for learning, behavior and other health problems. Parents of young children and pregnant women should be particularly aware of the risks associated with lead exposure. Visit the Minnesota Department of Health website for more information.

The City of Albert Lea is not aware of any health effects related to its drinking water. The City must test our drinking water for contaminants on a regular basis and the water meets all standards set by the Minnesota Department of Health, including lead. The City also takes steps to prevent the release of lead into our water.

Residents can also take simple steps to reduce lead in their drinking water:

Use a filter (see more information below)
Let water run to flush the home’s pipes before using the water for drinking or cooking
Use cold water from the tap for drinking, cooking and making baby formula
Clean the screen on faucets, called aerators, to prevent lead particles trapped in the screen from getting into drinking water

No, when choosing a water filter, you should ensure it is certified to NSF/ANSI standard 53. For more consumer information on purchasing water filters, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.

Residents are welcome to have their water tested for lead at their own expense. Contact an area laboratory to arrange for testing:

UC Laboratory, 129 N. Main, Janesville, MN 56048; 507-234-5835
Minnesota Valley Testing Lab, 1126 N. Front St., New Ulm, MN; 507-354-8517

Talk to their pediatrician or primary health care provider to arrange testing. They may also call the Minnesota Department of Health for guidance: Lead Surveillance at 651-201-4892.