Louisiana Voters to Decide on Amendment 7 for Lead Pipe Replacement

Louisiana voters will decide on November 3, 2026, whether to approve Amendment 7, a proposed change to the state constitution that would allow public money to be spent on removing lead water pipes from private property. The vote will immediately determine whether New Orleans can access a $152 million federal loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to tackle widespread drinking water contamination.

Constitutional Hurdles and Federal Financing for New Orleans Infrastructure

State law currently prohibits public funds from being given to or spent on private entities or individuals. This restriction prevents local utilities from replacing lead lines on private property, even though utilities can freely replace pipes in public rights-of-way. Approval of Amendment 7 would create a narrow exemption to this rule.

The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board faces an estimated $1 billion in total pipe abatement needs across a city where federal figures show roughly 90% of the housing stock was built before the EPA banned lead in drinking water infrastructure in 1986, lailluminator.com reported. Verite News reported earlier this year that previously unpublished city data revealed lead-contaminated drinking water in 70% of homes tested between 2022 and 2025.

Lead Exposure Poses Risks to Community Health

While the ballot measure would immediately unlock the $152 million EPA loan for New Orleans, the constitutional change applies statewide. Proponents argue that addressing private service lines is essential for community health. Long-term exposure to lead in drinking water is linked to neurological issues and developmental delays in children, as well as high blood pressure and seizures.

“Lead is a pervasive issue,” said Jessica Dandridge-Smith, executive director for The Water Collaborative, according to lailluminator.com. “It’s not a matter of public money or private money, but it’s an understanding that when you invest in your ecosystem, particularly water systems, you invest in public health.”

Loan Covers Only Fraction of Abatement Costs

The $152 million loan will address only a fraction of New Orleans’ overall abatement requirements. Hannah Levi, a spokeswoman for The Water Collaborative, noted that the full cost of replacing these lines is beyond the means of most residents and small business owners.

“It’s a really large amount of money that we’re talking about that is not feasible for most people in those small businesses to do it on their own,” Levi said, as reported by lailluminator.com. “This funding is really necessary to get lead lines replaced on a large scale.” Hannah Levi

An overarching project to replace lead water lines throughout New Orleans is expected to take until 2037 to complete. A state attorney general’s opinion concluded that New Orleans could legally use the federal money for private property removal without a change, but the amendment’s author, state Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, and other proponents insisted that a constitutional amendment was necessary to solidify the exemption.