Racine Mayor Launches $130 Million Effort to Pull Every Lead Service Line from the Ground in Five Years

RACINE, WI (May 20, 2026) — Lead has no safe level of exposure in drinking water, particularly for children and pregnant women. Yet roughly 10,000 homes in Racine are still served by lead pipes that carry water from the main to the tap. Today, Mayor Cory Mason announced the city intends to take every one of them out of service.

The EquiFlow Lead-Free Racine Program, a partnership between the City of Racine and Community Infrastructure Partners (CIP), commits $130 million over five years to a single goal: to eliminate lead from the path that drinking water takes into Racine homes. The first construction season, currently underway, targets more than 1,000 replacements. The pace accelerates each year from there. During the 2026–2027 construction season, the program is expected to complete approximately 4,000 replacements.

What sets the program apart is how the city structured the deal. CIP, the firm leading the work, gets paid only when a line is actually replaced. No billing for hours logged, no invoices for time spent. Lines out of the ground, or no check.

"I'm proud to say we got one of the biggest grants in the state of Wisconsin to be able to do this work," Mayor Mason said. "There is no cost to the homeowner. In other communities, that is a major barrier. We aggressively raised funds from the federal and state government to make sure that is not the case because we want participation."

Federal and state dollars for lead pipe replacement are flowing right now. They will not flow forever. Racine is moving while the money is on the table.

"Racine decided to lead, and lead aggressively," said Shawn Kerachsky, President and CEO of CIP. "There's a window of opportunity here that is real, but it's also finite. Racine moved early, they moved smart, and they moved aggressively. History will look very kindly upon the decisions that Racine, Mayor Mason, and the Water Utility made."

Alongside the service line work, the program will replace more than 100,000 linear feet of aging water mains, rebuilding the backbone of the system in the same neighborhoods where the lead pipes come out.

Every shovel, every crew, every paycheck is meant to stay in Racine. Through the Racine Works Program and partnerships with LiUNA and other local trade unions, the program is structured to hire and train Racine residents for the jobs the program creates.

A program this size only works if homeowners say yes. Reaching them is the job of Domina Consulting, CIP’s local outreach partner, which will participate in community events and walk residents through the replacement process and signing the Right of Entry form that crews need to access private property.

"Lead-free water for every Racine family is a mission," said Amanda Roman, CEO of Domina Consulting. "Community outreach is how we’re going to get there. We're going to meet the community where they are. When you see us at events or walking through your neighborhood, please approach us. We're here to give information and make sure everyone feels safe and respected."

Residents can verify their service line material, check eligibility, and request a replacement at www.leadfreeracine.com. The replacement is free.

Mayor Mason framed the stakes plainly: "Yes, this is a construction project that's going to get local people hired. But more importantly, this is a public health project. This is about safe drinking water. This is an environmental justice project. This is a social justice project. This is our commitment to follow through on our promise to remove all the lead pipes in our community."

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About the City of Racine

Racine, Wisconsin, is a thriving city located on Lake Michigan with a rich history and diverse population of about 78,000. Known for its historic downtown, award-winning architecture, top freshwater beach, strong community, and notable contributions to history and innovation, Racine is a wonderful place to live, work, and explore. From its progressive history as part of the Underground Railroad to its status as the Kringle Capital of America, there's always something new to discover in Racine.

About Community Infrastructure Partners

Community Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has reimagined how critical infrastructure programs are delivered by aligning strategy, execution, and accountability around measurable outcomes. CIP employs a performance-based delivery model designed to deliver infrastructure faster, at lower cost, and with greater transparency. The firm’s flagship initiative, EquiFlow Wausau, has removed more than 2,100 lead service lines in just 18 months—demonstrating how communities can accelerate progress while maintaining fiscal discipline and public trust. CIP is led by professionals with more than 40 years of collective experience implementing community infrastructure programs across the United States, with a focus on public health, resilience, and responsible stewardship of public funding.