Start with the basics
What is a service line?
It’s the pipe that connects the water main in the street to your home or building.
Some service lines contain lead. Replacing lead service lines removes a possible source of lead in drinking water.
Find your next step
What applies to your household?
Everyone can check their property. Some residents have additional steps to take now.
All Kenosha residents
Check your property
Open the KWU map, search your address, and select your property to see the recorded service-line information.
Received an official communication?
Respond to your notice
Follow the instructions from KWU or Clark Dietz, the engineering firm helping KWU manage the current replacement project.
A verification request does not mean replacement is necessary.
Priority households citywide
Contact KWU promptly
Children under the age of seven or a pregnant woman in your household? Contact KWU promptly, wherever you live in Kenosha.
What all residents need to know
Why replace lead service lines?
Lead is not in the water leaving KWU’s treatment plant, but it can enter drinking water through lead service lines or older household plumbing before reaching the tap.
KWU adds orthophosphate to the water to help form a protective coating inside pipes. This helps reduce the potential for lead to enter the water from service lines and household plumbing. Replacing lead service lines removes a possible source of exposure.
Work is happening in phases.
KWU is currently replacing eligible lead service lines in three priority census tracts. Eligible replacement work in these areas is fully covered, at no cost to the homeowner.
Confirming your service-line material helps KWU plan the work. It does not automatically mean your property is eligible or scheduled for replacement.
One connection, two portions. The public portion runs from the water main to the curb stop (shutoff valve) near the property line or sidewalk. The private portion, or customer-side, runs from the curb stop to the water meter.
Residents who received an official communication
Follow the instructions for your property.
If KWU or Clark Dietz contacted you about the current replacement project, respond promptly using the instructions in your notice. Those instructions will guide you through the steps that apply to your property.
Current replacement project
Clark Dietz is the engineering firm helping KWU manage the current replacement project in three priority census tracts. The project contractor replaces both the public and private portions of eligible service lines. Participating property owners do not need to hire their own plumber for this work.
You may need to verify the pipe material, complete paperwork, coordinate access, or schedule work. Follow the instructions provided for your property.
Questions about your notice? Contact the project team listed in your communication or KWU.
Priority households throughout Kenosha
Children under the age of seven (7) or a pregnant woman at home?
Households anywhere in Kenosha are encouraged to contact KWU promptly, including those outside the three current priority census tracts. You do not need to wait for a notice or confirmation of your service-line material to reach out.
KWU can help determine your next step.
KWU will review the service-line information for your property and coordinate any needed verification. If replacement is needed, KWU will help determine whether additional financial assistance may be available.
Assistance depends on the property, household eligibility, program requirements, and available funding.
Renters can contact KWU too. The property owner may need to authorize verification or replacement.
What if my service-line material is listed as unknown?
Contact KWU for help verifying the material. Email your property address and a photo of the pipe entering your home before the water meter to lead@kenosha.org, or call 262-653-4315 to arrange a home visit. Follow any specific submission instructions you received.
Photo submission example: Use this image as a guide. Your photo should clearly show the pipe entering your home and its connection to the water meter.
Which financial assistance applies to me?
KWU offers a community-wide grant and loan program, separate from the fully covered eligible work in the three current priority census tracts. Additional assistance may be available for priority households. Contact KWU to determine which funding and replacement process applies to your property.
How can I reduce possible lead exposure?
KWU provides a free filter to homes with a confirmed lead service line. Contact KWU for help with verification and obtaining a filter. Our Resident Resources & FAQs page explains filter use, flushing, faucet aerator cleaning, and other steps. If your line has recently been replaced, follow the project team’s specific flushing and filter instructions.
Kenosha Water Utility
Questions about your next step?
Contact KWU for help with your service line, property information, or possible financial assistance.