New Orleans Seeks to Replace Lead Pipes with Federal Funds

Two bills in the Louisiana legislature could clear the way for the Sewerage & Water Board to use federal money to replace lead service lines on private property.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 8:03pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans has secured $152 million in federal loans to pay for replacing lead pipes, but a provision in the state constitution may prevent them from using the funds on the private side of the service lines. Two bills have been proposed in the Louisiana legislature to address this issue - one to create a constitutional amendment allowing the use of public funds for lead pipe replacement, and another to authorize municipalities to access private property to replace lead lines.

Why it matters

Lead exposure, even at low levels, can have serious health consequences, especially for children. Replacing the city's tens of thousands of lead pipes is crucial to protecting public health, but has been delayed due to contract disputes, costs, and legislative hurdles. These bills aim to remove those obstacles and allow the Sewerage & Water Board to fully utilize federal funding to address the lead pipe issue.

The details

The first bill, Senate Bill 228, would create a constitutional amendment to carve out an exception allowing public funds to be used for lead service line replacement on private property. The second bill, Senate Bill 268, would authorize municipalities to access private property to replace lead lines, even if the constitutional amendment fails. Both bills are authored by Sen. Royce Duplessis and aim to clear the way for the Sewerage & Water Board to use the $152 million in federal loans it has secured to replace lead pipes throughout New Orleans.

  • The Sewerage & Water Board recently received four bids for a third-party project manager to run the utility's lead pipe replacement program.
  • The S&WB aims to award the lead pipe replacement project management contract by the end of May 2026.

The players

Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans

The public utility responsible for providing water, sewer, and drainage services to the city of New Orleans.

Sen. Royce Duplessis

A New Orleans Democrat who authored the two bills to address the lead pipe replacement issue.

Ceara Labat

The chief of communications for the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans.

Adrienne Katner

An LSU professor of public health who has studied lead in New Orleans.

Randy Hayman

The Executive Director of the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“While we recognize the purpose of this law, we want to ensure that it does not prevent us from removing lead pipes on the private side of the water line at no cost to our customers.”

— Ceara Labat, Chief of Communications, Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (veritenews.org)

“We filed the legislation out of an abundance of caution.”

— Sen. Royce Duplessis (veritenews.org)

“At end of the day, this is about protecting public health and working to ensure there's no lead exposure. We've seen the reports about lead exposure recently and this could be a huge step to address that.”

— Sen. Royce Duplessis (veritenews.org)

“It cannot be emphasized highly enough that lead affects us all. It affects nearly every organ in the body. We all need to make every effort to reduce our exposure throughout our entire lifetime.”

— Adrienne Katner, LSU Professor of Public Health (veritenews.org)

“Removing lead from our drinking water system is a priority, and we are committed to working with our city and state representatives to achieve this goal.”

— Ceara Labat, Chief of Communications, Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (veritenews.org)

What’s next

The two bills proposed by Sen. Royce Duplessis have not yet been scheduled for hearings in the Senate Local and Municipal Affairs Committee, but he does not anticipate any opposition. His previous lead pipe replacement law from 2024 passed both legislative chambers unanimously.

The takeaway

Replacing lead pipes in New Orleans' drinking water system is crucial to protecting public health, but has been delayed due to various obstacles. These proposed bills aim to remove legal and financial hurdles by allowing the Sewerage & Water Board to use federal funds to replace lead service lines on private property, demonstrating the city's commitment to addressing this longstanding issue.