70% of homes tested in New Orleans water program had lead
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Lead service lines in the French Quarter are indicated with red dots on this map from the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans. Screenshot: Courtesy of SWBNO
About 70% of households that participated in the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans' free water testing program had lead in their water, according to a new report from Verite News.
Why it matters: It will likely take years before the remainder of the city's tens of thousands of lead pipes are replaced, Verite reporter Halle Parker writes.
- The longer the process takes, the more residents remain at risk of chronic lead exposure through their drinking water.
The big picture: SWBNO has one of the oldest water systems on the Gulf Coast, with pipes dating back more than a century, Parker writes.
- Lead experts point to the city's corroding lead water lines as a significant public health hazard.
- Though the city's water system complies with federal standards, officials concede those standards don't fully protect residents from lead exposure.
- No level of lead is safe to consume.
How it works: Drinking water doesn't have detectable levels of lead when it leaves the treatment plant, SWBNO says.
- But water can be contaminated on its journey through lead pipes and plumbing fixtures in homes and businesses.
- Lead pipes were common until the late 1980s, and many lead service lines remain in New Orleans. SWBNO says it adds lime to the water to minimize lead pipe corrosion.
- The only way to confirm the pipe material is visually. The utility has to dig down to each unknown pipe to verify the material.
- Check SWBNO's service line material map.
Driving the news: New federal rules require all water systems to replace their lead pipes by 2037.
- Last month, SWBNO started accepting new bids for a project management firm for its lead pipe program, Parker writes.
- Rebecca Johnsey, SWBNO's deputy general superintendent of water programs, told Parker the utility hopes to award the contract by the end of this year and start construction in late 2027 — a one-year delay.
- In the meantime, crews have started to replace lead lines on a small scale at schools and day cares. Johnsey said the utility also replaces lead lines that are found during roadwork projects.
Zoom in: Two bills before the Louisiana Legislature could clear the way for SWBNO to use federal funds to pay for replacing lead service lines on residents' private property, Parker reports.
What they did: More than 1,100 households were tested between September 2022 and May 2025.
- SWBNO doesn't know the full extent of lead in the system, but this testing provides the most recent snapshot, Verite says.
- The worst test recorded levels of lead 100 times the federal action level.
- The program is ongoing.
What's next: Request a free lead testing kit and a water filter pitcher.
Go deeper: Verite's full investigation
Editor's note: This story was done in partnership with Verite News, a nonprofit newsroom in New Orleans.