Indiana's seller disclosure form, State Form 46234, has a version marked R/9-26. It asks whether a home is connected to public water and sewer and about the condition of those systems. It has no question about lead service lines or lead in drinking water. Its hazardous-conditions question names lead paint and doesn't mention lead plumbing. Sellers fill out the form based on their "current actual knowledge."
In most Indiana towns, that leaves the material of the pipe between the water main and the house unaddressed during a sale. In Decatur through summer 2027, the city is answering it instead. Its "Get The Lead Out" project now targets more than 1,000 lead service lines. That's far more than the original plan, and most of the added lines were brought in over the past year. For anyone selling or buying an older house in central Decatur right now, the pipe question is being settled by public inventories, consent letters and crews working on the street, not by the disclosure form.
How a 323-line project grew past 1,000
The project didn't start this large. The original plan called for replacing 323 lead service lines. When Commonwealth Engineers presented the final scope to the board of works in October 2025, the count rose to 518. In July 2026, project manager Ben Adams told council that at least 1,000 lines would be replaced.
Two things drove that growth, and both came down to money.
| Funding piece | October 2025 plan | June 2026 revision |
|---|---|---|
| State Revolving Fund grant, no repayment | $5.5 million | $8 million |
| Interest-free loan | $2.5 million | $5 million |
| Low-interest borrowing | $10 million at 2.898%, plus $3 million slightly higher | $9 million over 35 years below 3% |
| Planned water rate increase | 15% as introduced | 11% as adopted |
| Lead service lines targeted | 518 | 1,000+ |
The October 2025 figures come from WZBD's report on the finalized scope. The June figures come from the June 16, 2026 Common Council minutes. There, City Attorney Anne Razo explained that Ordinance 2026-10 was introduced with a 15% water rate increase. It was lowered to 11% "following additional SRF funds awarded to the City of Decatur and further study."
The bids helped too. The city got 19 bids across four phases. All four winning bids came in under the engineers' estimates, and the four contracts total $17,189,529. In June 2026, the Indiana Finance Authority announced $22 million in drinking water SRF financing for Decatur's full lead line replacement and water main work. The project is funded through 35-year bonds.
For the housing market, the cheaper bids and bigger grant mainly added addresses to the program. Hundreds of service lines that weren't part of the October 2025 scope are part of it now, and in July more than 800 owners were notified that their homes had been added for possible lead line checks.
Where the crews are, street by street
The four contracts divide the city by area, according to WZBD's July report:
- VTF Excavation of Celina, Ohio: Second and Monroe streets, $2,615,839.20
- Yarberry Companies of Anderson: Eighth through Eleventh streets, plus Jefferson and Madison streets, $3,272,890
- S&S Directional Boring of Bryan, Ohio: around Elm and Adams streets and part of Winchester Road, $3,390,000
- Watson Excavating of Redkey: the 1,000-plus lead service line replacements, $7,185,925
The October 2025 scope map shows one of the main target areas as many of the houses between Adams Street and Monroe Street, from the river to 13th Street. The Homestead area and its surroundings are also included.
By mid-September, work had started on Jefferson Street between Second and Seventh streets. That work replaces water mains and removes lead service lines. Water main work on North Winchester Road was set to begin September 16. The city warned of street closures, traffic restrictions, limited access in active work zones, and possible temporary water shutoffs. The project is expected to continue into summer 2027.
So a house listed on one of these blocks this fall or next spring could be shown with a torn-up curb strip, a closed street, or a scheduled water shutoff. Sellers and listing agents can plan showings around those dates. Buyers comparing two similar houses may be comparing one where the work is done with one where it hasn't started.
The letters that went to 850 homes
Expanding the scope meant notifying the new owners. In July, WZBD reported that more than 800 owners had received letters saying their homes were being added to the list for possible lead line checks. Owners were asked to decide whether to approve the inspection and return the letter. The board of works minutes from July 7, 2026 record 850 notices sent and a positive response from owners.
That letter matters in a sale. A seller who returned it has a paper record that the home is in the program. A seller who set it aside may not remember getting it. Neither city materials nor local coverage reviewed for this post explains what happens when an owner doesn't return the letter, or how a pending inspection carries over when a house changes hands. Both are questions for the Decatur Water Department before closing, not assumptions to build into a contract.
Looking up any Decatur address
The disclosure form doesn't ask, but the information is public. Here's how to find it:
- Search IDEM's statewide inventory map at idem.120water-ptd.com. It accepts an address and shows service line material as lead, galvanized, non-lead or unknown. IDEM says a blank result may mean the water system keeps its inventory separately, and that records can change after review. Indiana systems had to submit their first inventories by October 16, 2024.
- Use the city's self-identification survey, linked from the City of Decatur homepage. The survey form shows how to tell plastic, copper, galvanized steel and lead pipe apart where the line enters the house. Owners who aren't sure can request a city inspection.
- Read the city's water quality report. Decatur's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report gives a 2024 lead 90th-percentile result of 12.7 parts per billion. Two samples were above the action level, and the city reported no violation. The report also says lead levels in a given home can differ because of its own plumbing.
A seller can attach the lookup result, or proof of a completed replacement, in the disclosure form's comments section, which the form provides for further explanation. A buyer can run the same search before writing an offer.
Two lead rules that get confused
Pre-1978 homes in Decatur fall under a federal disclosure requirement, but it covers paint. Sellers must disclose known lead-based paint and paint hazards, hand over any records they have and the EPA pamphlet before the contract is signed, and give buyers a 10-day inspection period unless both sides waive or change it in writing. The EPA's real estate disclosure page lays it out. None of it covers the water service line.
Indiana law does address service lines, in utility code rather than real estate code. IC 8-1-31.6-6 requires a water utility's customer-side lead line plan to get IURC approval. The plan has to cover customer costs, coordination with utility-side work, restoration and future repair responsibility. Under the statute, a residential owner who is asked must either join the utility's program and allow access, or replace the customer-owned portion at their own expense within 45 days. In certain cases where the owner doesn't respond or refuses, the utility may enter to do the work. Research for this post didn't turn up a Decatur-specific IURC order under this chapter, so how it applies locally is a question for the city.
What's still unresolved
The biggest open question is cost to the homeowner. The Indiana Finance Authority's 2026 plan states this goal:
"Continue to ensure participants in all programs under the Authority fully replace and fully fund both the public and private sides of LSL Replacement projects."
That's a program goal. City materials and local coverage reviewed for this post don't include a Decatur statement that the private-side work is free to owners.
Rates are partly settled. WZBD reported that a $4.40 increase for minimum users took effect January 1, 2026. The second step was originally projected at $6.60. It was replaced by the 11% ordinance adopted June 16, and no source reviewed confirms when the revised rates started appearing on bills.
The federal rule behind all of this is also in court. The EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements require water systems to find and replace lead pipes within 10 years. NRDC reports that a legal challenge to the rule had oral argument on September 30, 2026, with a decision expected in six to 12 months. Decatur's contracts are already signed and its crews are already working on Jefferson Street.
Quick answers
Does Indiana's seller disclosure form ask about lead water lines?
No. The current State Form 46234 asks about water and sewer systems and lists lead paint as a hazard, but it has no question about lead service lines. Sellers can add details in the comments section.
How can I check whether a Decatur house has a lead service line?
Search the address on IDEM's public inventory map, or use the City of Decatur's self-identification survey and request an inspection if the material is unknown.
Which parts of Decatur are in the project?
The published scope includes much of the area between Adams and Monroe streets from the river to 13th Street, the Homestead area, and contract areas along Second, Monroe, Eighth through Eleventh, Jefferson, Madison, Elm and Adams streets and part of Winchester Road.
When will the work be finished?
The city expects the project to continue into summer 2027.
At Daniel Morken, our pricing comes from appraisal-grade work, and on Decatur's older blocks that now includes checking a home's service line status, its spot in the replacement schedule, and the paperwork that shows both. If you're thinking about selling a home in the project area, we can pull the inventory record and the city's notices together before we set a price. Request your home valuation to get started.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
