In an effort to accelerate the removal of lead in drinking water, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program has made funding available for the complete removal of the public and/or private portions of lead service lines (LSLs). Funding for the Lead Elimination Assistance Program (LEAP) comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) as well as available DWSRF funds. Funding covers replacement of LSLs; this includes pipe entry into the structure up to shut off valve but excludes premise plumbing.
Application and Guidance
The Lead Elimination Assistance Program (LEAP) Application and LEAP Application Instructions are available to download below. Note: If the scope of your potential project will include other construction work in addition to LSL work, such as water main replacement or meter installation, you will be required to submit a separate Construction Funds Application in addition to the LEAP Application.
Templates for the LSL Inventory and LSL Replacement Plan may be found under LCRR Guidance. Procedural Guidelines contain information on our programmatic requirements such as MBE/WBE, Davis-Bacon, and AIS/BABA. Appendix D of the Program Design Manual and the Scorecard explain how LSL projects are ranked and scored.
Deadlines and Submittal Information
Please refer to the dates below to ensure that your LEAP Application is submitted before the deadline. You may submit your application via email using the instructions below:
- LEAP application deadline is May 2, 2025
- Please send to LEAP.applications@vdh.virginia.gov
- With the subject line FY26 LEAP Application - City/County - Project Name
If files are too large and exceed email file limits, it is acceptable to send multiple emails with your application and attachments. Alternatively, you may send a Google Drive link (or similar platform) to share access to your application documents. Please note that, unfortunately, applications submitted via Dropbox can no longer be accepted. VDH has blocked Dropbox due to the fact that it does not meet the Agency's security standards. If you have not received a confirmation email that your application has been received within 2 business days of application submittal, please contact one of our Project Managers in our FCAP Directory.
LSL Replacement Projects
- A Field Office Scope Review Meeting is not required prior to submitting your LEAP application.
- Applications may be submitted year-round, but will only be reviewed once a year. The next review period is anticipated to be May 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions - for Localities and Waterworks
Click on each bar below to expand and view the answers to frequently asked questions.
The Lead Elimination Assistance Program (LEAP) is a subset of VDH-ODW's regular Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) Program. Funding for LSL projects is available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and DWSRF funds.
LEAP funding is to be used exclusively for work that involves lead removal. If you have a project that involves both lead and non-lead work, you will need to complete both the LEAP Application and the Construction Funds Application.
All LEAP projects will need to follow the same programmatic, State, and Federal requirements that are required for other Construction Projects, unless otherwise stated. Certain requirements may be deemed not applicable to LEAP projects, depending on the scope and setup of the project. These non-applicable items will be determined after all potential LEAP projects once all applications have been received and evaluated.
The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water (VDH-ODW) maintains primary enforcement responsibility (primacy) under the SDWA (Safe Drinking Water Act) and the federal SDWA regulations for the Commonwealth of Virginia. As the primacy agency, the VDH-ODW will be implementing the Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) requirements. Please check the VDH-ODW Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) Guidance webpage for the latest information, including templates, training information, and FAQ documents.
If you have any further questions, please submit an email to one of our FCAP project managers.