Customer Participation in Lead Pipe Replacement: A New Jersey Case Study

Key Takeaways Water systems require customer participation to meet federal requirements for inventorying and replacing drinking water pipes if they contain lead. Renter‐occupied and lower‐value properties were less likely to participate in a voluntary lead pipe replacement program in New Jersey. An assessment of two grant programs subsidizing low‐income homeowners’ replacement costs found that only the well‐publicized and easy‐to‐access program boosted participation. Results showed that, even with subsidies, it was difficult to get participation in the voluntary program among owners of properties with lead pipes.