1,694 Ohio water systems have inventoried 3,654,413 service lines for EPA. 265,123 (7.3%) are confirmed lead and 878,816 (24%) are still of unknown material. Below: every large or city-linked Ohio utility ranked by lead lines.
Ohio water systems reported 265,123 lead service lines and 56,390 galvanized lines requiring replacement as of Q2 2026 — 7.3% of the 3,654,413 lines inventoried and 12% of the national lead total, ranking #2 of 51. CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM reports the most in the state (144,193).
CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM (144,193), CINCINNATI PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM (34,673), COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM (25,155) lead the list; 168 Ohio systems report at least one lead line in total.
Find your utility in the table below, then check its published service line inventory (most utilities post an address-lookup map) or call the number on your water bill. Utilities must notify customers whose line is lead, galvanized-requiring-replacement or unknown. You can also test the pipe entering your home: lead is soft, dull gray, non-magnetic and turns shiny when scratched.
Under EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, systems must replace lead and galvanized-requiring-replacement lines within 10 years starting in 2027; systems with very high counts can receive longer deadlines. Ask your utility for its replacement plan and whether it covers the homeowner-owned portion.
Use a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead for drinking and cooking, flush the tap after water has sat for hours, never use hot tap water for drinking or infant formula, and confirm your actual level with a certified lab test.
Source: EPA SDWIS Service Line Inventory, Q2 2026 snapshot (updated 2026-08-18). Counts are service lines, not people.
A certified mail-in lab test shows exactly what's in your water — lead plus dozens of other contaminants — with EPA-grade accuracy. Know your real levels before spending on a filter.
Certified lab · results in days
Community systems serving 50,000+ people plus systems linked to a city report on this site (29 shown). State totals above include every reporting system.
| # | Water system | Status | Lead | GRR | Unknown | Total lines | City report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLEVELAND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OH1801212 · 1,308,955 served | Lead service lines present | 144,193 | 528 | 56,954 | 434,395 | |
| 2 | CINCINNATI PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OH3102612 · 750,200 served | Lead service lines present | 34,673 | 44 | 45 | 238,335 | |
| 3 | COLUMBUS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OH2504412 · 1,305,946 served | Lead service lines present | 25,155 | 8,093 | 65,266 | 288,462 | |
| 4 | DAYTON PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OH5703512 · 141,407 served | Lead service lines present | 9,393 | 527 | 4 | 64,726 | |
| 5 | HAMILTON PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OH0904012 · 62,447 served | Lead service lines present | 4,156 | 11 | 7,230 | 23,072 | |
| 6 | MIDDLETOWN CITY PWS OH0901712 · 51,229 served | Lead service lines present | 4,144 | 258 | 0 | 20,752 | |
| 7 | LAKEWOOD CITY PWS OH1801003 · 50,942 served | Lead service lines present | 3,645 | 392 | 149 | 14,138 | |
| 8 | LIMA CITY OH0200811 · 65,619 served | Lead service lines present | 2,713 | 19 | 23,367 | 26,365 | |
| 9 | TOLEDO CITY OF OH4801411 · 360,000 served | Lead service lines present | 1,944 | 6,468 | 38,053 | 114,828 | |
| 10 | AKRON CITY PWS OH7700011 · 280,000 served | Lead service lines present | 1,683 | 7,389 | 5,490 | 89,061 | |
| 11 | CUYAHOGA FALLS CITY PWS OH7701012 · 51,114 served | Lead service lines present | 1,014 | 57 | 3,067 | 17,183 | |
| 12 | YOUNGSTOWN CITY PWS OH5002303 · 130,530 served | Lead service lines present | 735 | 2,227 | 11,718 | 51,783 | |
| 13 | MONTGOMERY COUNTY WATER SERVICES 2 PWS OH5701503 · 83,033 served | Lead service lines present | 653 | 98 | 12,174 | 30,792 | |
| 14 | SPRINGFIELD CITY PWS OH1204412 · 60,680 served | Lead service lines present | 433 | 1,438 | 19,444 | 23,550 | |
| 15 | ELYRIA WATER DEPARTMENT OH4700411 · 68,000 served | Lead service lines present | 403 | 438 | 4,118 | 19,874 | |
| 16 | MONTGOMERY COUNTY WATER SERVICES 1 PWS OH5701315 · 150,207 served | Lead service lines present | 370 | 156 | 16,665 | 49,666 | |
| 17 | AQUA OHIO - STRUTHERS OH5001611 · 58,551 served | Lead service lines present | 88 | 388 | 9,655 | 24,427 | |
| 18 | DEL-CO WATER COMPANY, INC. OH2101412 · 150,000 served | Lead service lines present | 9 | 19 | 14,186 | 56,197 | |
| 19 | LAKE COUNTY WEST WATER SUBDISTRICT OH4302411 · 78,379 served | Lead service lines present | 1 | 0 | 22,556 | 27,914 | |
| 20 | MANSFIELD CITY OH7002914 · 51,000 served | Lead service lines present | 0 | 43 | 21,334 | 22,949 | |
| 21 | AQUA OHIO - MASSILLON PWS OH7604512 · 95,636 served | Lead service lines present | 0 | 1,119 | 11,387 | 40,441 | |
| 22 | LORAIN CITY PWS OH4700711 · 64,152 served | Many lines still unverified | 0 | 0 | 8,159 | 20,084 | |
| 23 | CANTON PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OH7608112 · 107,113 served | Lead service lines present | 0 | 3,233 | 4,869 | 42,875 | |
| 24 | CLERMONT PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OH1302212 · 133,059 served | No lead service lines reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45,080 | |
| 25 | BUTLER CO. WATER DISTRICT 2 PWS OH0900303 · 116,572 served | No lead service lines reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42,124 | |
| 26 | WARREN COUNTY OH8301512 · 81,975 served | No lead service lines reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28,919 | |
| 27 | AQUA OHIO - MENTOR OH4301511 · 74,500 served | No lead service lines reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32,183 | |
| 28 | RURAL LORAIN CO. WATER A OH4701803 · 73,125 served | No lead service lines reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24,908 | |
| 29 | FINDLAY CITY PWS OH3200111 · 54,040 served | Lead service lines present | 0 | 28 | 0 | 19,004 |
A lead or unknown service line means lead can enter water after it leaves the treatment plant, so city-level test results understate what reaches your tap. Filter drinking and cooking water with an NSF/ANSI 53 lead-certified system, and see the lead in drinking water guide or Ohio city water reports.
We may earn a commission from filters purchased through these links, at no extra cost to you.