What’s happening now


The City of Oxford is working to eliminate the risk of lead from private water service lines and in-home plumbing. City water leaving the treatment plant and running through our mains is lead-free; however, some older properties may still have lead or galvanized service lines and/or older interior plumbing and fixtures. We’ve identified properties that need service line replacement. Oxford has funding available to pay for the private side replacement, but the property owner must enroll and sign an agreement to participate. A City-contracted plumber will complete the work in accordance with City specifications. If you received a letter from us, it means your address is on our replacement list or listed as “unknown” and needs verification.

Enroll: Property Owner Sign-Up

If you own the property that received our letter, please enroll now so we can schedule your replacement.

First Step: Download and complete the Lead Water Service Line Replacement Agreement. 

Second Step: Click here.


What to expect after you sign up

Once you’ve completed the Owner Agreement and enrolled in the program, here’s what happens next:

  1. Contractor inspection – The City’s contracted plumber will contact you to schedule a brief inspection of your property. This visit allows them to review your existing service line and prepare a replacement quote that meets the City of Oxford’s specifications.
  2. Quote approval – After the inspection, the contractor and property owner submit the quote to the City for review and approval.
  3. Scheduling the replacement – Once the City approves the quote, the property owner works directly with the contractor to schedule the replacement.
  4. City coordination – Please notify the City when your replacement date is set. This allows us to coordinate any sidewalk or curb repairs and sod replacement, if needed, immediately following the work.

Next steps if you got our letter


A special note for renters/tenants

If you rent at an address that received our letter, you cannot enroll directly—but you can help move things along:

  • Contact your landlord or property manager to ask if/when they plan to enroll for the City-funded replacement.
  • Share this page and encourage them to complete the owner sign-up.
  • In the meantime, basic good practices at home include running cold water before drinking or cooking until the temperature turns noticeably colder and cleaning faucet aerators periodically. (Never use hot tap water for drinking or making baby formula.)

 
Lead can impact nearly every organ and system in your body. Young children and infants are especially susceptible to lead poisoning. A small amount of lead that might barely affect an adult can cause serious problems in a child.
While a federal law enacted in 1986 banned the use of lead in new plumbing, Ohio had a previous state law (late 1988) that required "lead-free" materials, though with a less strict definition. The state has since implemented new regulations, such as the 2016 law and updated EPA rules, to better address the issue of lead service lines, many of which are still in use today.

No! The water leaving the treatment plant and traveling through the water mains is free of lead.

Did you know that the City of Oxford tests its drinking water for lead every year? Moreover, lead is found in service lines connecting older homes to the water system, in fixtures, and in home plumbing.

The Water Distribution Division has been building an inventory of all water service lines by reviewing records or conducting field verification. You might have seen a City staff and a Hydro excavating truck working around town. If “lead” or” galvanized” pipes requiring replacement are found, a letter will be sent to you with an offer for a replacement. If you received an “unknown” letter, please visit our website to learn how to verify.

Our investigation revealed that your water service line is either made of lead or galvanized, which necessitates replacement, or its material is unknown. 

Some areas of Oxford were built after the Ohio lead service line ban (late 1988), so their water service lines are non-lead.

If lead is detected by the City, a letter will be sent to you with a replacement offer.

Additionally, you can look at the Lead Service Line Map on this page to see what data is shown for your address. If you find that the information we have is incorrect, please complete the Self-Assessment Survey:


Self-Assessment Survey
Complete the Self-Assessment below. Once our staff reviews it, someone will reach out to you with more information.

Self-Assessment Survey
Yes! The City of Oxford’s council has approved funding to replace the private owners' part of the water service line, but only with a signed agreement of terms and conditions.

Fill out the agreement and complete the signup at the top of this page to begin this process. 
Yes! Either way works.

Online: Complete the Self-Assessment and fill out the City of Oxford Survey on this page. 

Phone: contact Josh Hatmaker, Water Distribution Manager, at 513-523-5014.

No! The City is committed to providing safe drinking water to residents, even if it requires finding ways to fund it for the benefit of our community.

Unfortunately, no! This was recently approved by the City Council; all service lines replaced before approval do not qualify for the program.

Unfortunately, no. However, if you qualify for the program, a dedicated tee with a valve will be installed for drinking water purposes, bypassing the existing internal plumbing.

You can contact the Ohio Department of Health by calling 1-877-LEADSAF (532-3723) or emailing lead.testing@odh.ohio.gov. Get your water tested and/or contact a licensed plumbing professional to evaluate the age and material of your plumbing system. You could also order a test from most online shopping platforms and conduct it yourself. As your budget allows, start replacing areas of concern. Regardless, the best practice is to flush the system before drinking the water until you notice a significant temperature difference, which typically takes 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Keep all aerators clean (located at the end of faucets and usually equipped with a screen; twist off and clean).

Boiling water DOES NOT remove lead. 

Hot water dissolves lead faster than cold water and is therefore more likely to contain higher levels of lead. Never use water from the hot water tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula.
Human skin does not absorb lead in water. For more information, visit the EPA’s website. 
Homes may contain internal plumbing materials with lead. Since you cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only reliable way to determine if there are harmful levels of lead in your drinking water. To schedule, call the Water Distribution Division at 513-523-5014 or email Division Manager, Josh Hatmaker at jhatmaker@cityofoxford.org

Some filters can remove lead from drinking water. If you use a filter, make sure to select one tested and certified by an independent third party. Read the manufacturer’s directions carefully to learn how to properly install and use your filter, as well as when to replace it. Using a filter after its expiration date can reduce its effectiveness at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter. For more information on how to identify filters certified to reduce lead, see EPA’s factsheet here.

In most cases, the right-of-way (ROW) is situated between the sidewalks and the curb, see illustration below.

Water Service Line - Private versus Public side of right of way

We have more information available on our Lead-Safe Community page.