The Indiana Department of Environmental Management announced that the state is among national leaders in efforts to reduce exposure to lead and copper in drinking water.
IDEM, in a Jan. 16 news release, said that Indiana’s water systems have submitted more than 98% of the required lead service line inventories.
“Indiana’s proactive approach and high submission rate show we’re not just meeting federal expectations, we’re setting the pace nationally,” IDEM Commissioner Clint Woods said in a news release. “This milestone reflects the dedication of our water systems and IDEM’s commitment to supporting them.”
According to IDEM, 1,355 of Indiana’s water systems have submitted inventories, which the agency calls “a significant achievement given the state’s size and complexity.” Indiana has 1,376 water systems.
In 2024, the agency’s Drinking Water Branch worked with water systems statewide to complete and submit inventories, and the team worked with the Indiana Finance Authority to create an online Public Water System Portal to streamline submissions.
The branch also created a public-facing site that allows Hoosiers to view submitted inventories, and it displays service line locations, material types and relevant contact information for public water systems, according to the news release.
“We want to thank all the water system operators for their hard work and dedication in completing their service line inventories,” Drinking Water Branch Chief Matt Prater said in a news release. “These inventories are a critical first step in protecting Hoosier families and ensuring safe drinking water for generations to come.”
Throughout the state, 21 water systems not yet provided a service line inventory. Two water systems are in Porter County and one is in LaPorte County. All Lake County systems have provided a service line inventory.
In October 2024, President Joe Biden’s administration issued a final rule requiring drinking systems nationwide to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA also announced at the time that it planned to provide $2.6 billion in drinking water infrastructure, according to Post-Tribune archives.
“These timelines have not shifted with the new federal administration,” an IDEM spokesperson said in an email. “Should dates or specific requirements change, IDEM will work with utilities to help ensure compliance.”
In April 2025, the city of Hammond received $5 million through the Indiana Finance Authority’s State Revolving Fund program to help replace its lead service lines, according to Post-Tribune archives. Through the program, Hammond would save about $5.5 million in principal and interest costs, according to archives, which should help replace lead service lines for about 400 Hammond homes.
The Biden administration issued the lead pipes final rule a decade after the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, which exposed the city’s residents to dangerous levels of lead and outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease — a severe form of pneumonia that’s caught through inhaling bacteria from water or soil.
The EPA first announced the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements on Nov. 23, 2023, which included achieving 100% lead pipe replacement within 10 years, locating legacy lead pipes and strengthening protections to reduce exposure.
According to IDEM, Indiana’s water systems are required to submit a replacement plan to the state by Nov. 1, 2027, and line replacement must be completed by 2037.