Regina city council has approved an amendment to the Regina Water Bylaw that could make it mandatory for owners of private properties to replace their lead water pipes.

Homeowners will also be required to pay for their portion of the replacement.

Kim Onrait, the director of citizen services with the City of Regina, says that residents will have three different options to pay.

“The new program deals with any private connection that is connected into a city lead service connection, so when the city goes to do their work to replace their connection point, it will be mandatory now for the private side to do their connection point,” he explained. “There’s a couple of options, one is they can pay for it all at once, or they can differ payment over five years, or if they fall into the right criteria, that payment can be stretched over a ten year period.”

Mayor Sandra Masters said the replacement of the lead pipes addresses many concerns.

“I think that the concern ultimately is healthy tap water, accelerating the program and then providing those payment options; that’s kind of the effects of what the bylaw change was.”