Interested Party Testimony on HB 307, the Lead Line Replacement Act — Erica Galante-Johnson, EPIC

Summary

Interested party testimony on HB 307, the Lead Line Replacement Act, from Erica Galante-Johnson, Senior Policy Analyst LSLR at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), dated October 1st, 2025, to the House Development Committee. The testimony states that Ohio has an estimated 800,000 lead service lines, the third highest total in the nation. It states that House Bill 307 clarifies that water systems can spread costs among the ratepayer base, permits property access with prior notice, prohibits partial replacements and sets a 15-year statewide timeline. It cites an analysis by Scioto Analysis with an estimated return on investment of $32 to $45 for every dollar spent.

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            Interested Party Testimony on HB 307, the Lead Line Replacement Act
                      Erica Galante-Johnson, Senior Policy Analyst LSLR
                       Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC)
                                Wednesday, October 1st, 2025

Chairman Hoops, Vice Chair Lorenz, Ranking Member Abdullahi, and esteemed members of the
House Development Committee

Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on House Bill 307, the Lead Line Replacement
Act. The Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
advancing faster, scalable environmental progress through research, policy analysis, technical
assistance, and collaboration. Our work is focused on expanding access to safe, reliable, and
affordable water infrastructure, with a particular emphasis on accelerating the replacement of
lead service lines.

With an estimated 800,000 lead service lines, the third highest total in the nation, Ohio faces a
serious challenge. Three Ohio cities—Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati—rank among the top ten in
the U.S. for the largest concentrations of lead service lines, leaving thousands of families at risk of
exposure to lead in drinking water. Even at very low levels, lead can impair children’s development
and cause lasting health problems, while also undermining educational outcomes, workforce
productivity, and overall community well-being.

House Bill 307 removes critical barriers to lead service line replacement identified by EPIC’s
research. These include uncertainty about whether water systems can legally distribute costs
across ratepayers and whether they can access private property to replace the privately owned
portion of a line. This bill resolves these issues by clarifying that water systems can spread costs
among the ratepayer base and by permitting property access with prior notice. Additionally, this
legislation strengthens public health protections by prohibiting partial replacements, which can
temporarily increase lead levels in drinking water.

By establishing a 15-year statewide timeline for identifying and replacing all lead service lines, this
bill provides communities and water systems the regulatory certainty needed for effective,
multiyear planning, particularly amid regulatory uncertainty at the federal level due to ongoing
litigation. EPIC’s research highlights strategies to improve cost-efficiencies, but adopting these
best practices for lead service line replacement requires regulatory certainty as well as a
reasonable planning window. The regulatory certainty and other foundations provided by House
Bill 307 not only empower water systems to invest in replacing lead service lines to protect public



Environmental Policy Innovation Center I 7761 Diamondback Drive I College Park, MD 20742 I www.policyinnovation.org
health, these measures also enable water systems to stretch each dollar invested, reducing costs
to Ohio ratepayers and taxpayers.

While the cost of replacing lead service lines throughout Ohio is substantial, estimated to cost $5
billion dollars, evidence suggests that the cost of inaction is greater. A recent analysis by Scioto
Analysis found that full lead service line replacement yields significant public health and economic
benefits, with an estimated return on investment of $32 to $45 for every dollar spent. Over the
15-year timeline envisioned in this legislation, Ohio could see as much as $145 to $185 billion in
economic gains through improved health outcomes, higher lifetime earnings, and reduced
healthcare and social service costs.

House Bill 307 enhances public health protections, removes key barriers to lead service line
replacement, and enables communities and water systems to plan and implement replacement
programs.

Sincerely,

Erica Galante-Johnson
Senior Policy Analyst, Lead Service Line Replacement
Environmental Policy Innovation Center




Environmental Policy Innovation Center I 7761 Diamondback Drive I College Park, MD 20742 I www.policyinnovation.org


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