Encouraging Lead Service Line Replacement in Disadvantaged Communities

Last registered on November 19, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Encouraging Lead Service Line Replacement in Disadvantaged Communities
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017241
Initial registration date
November 14, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
November 19, 2025, 1:39 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Fanyu Wang
Affiliation
Columbia University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Robert Metcalfe
PI Affiliation
Columbia University
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PI Name
Siyuan Hu
PI Affiliation
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-03-01
End date
2026-10-31
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy, Health
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This project studies the key drivers of household participation in a publicly funded environmental health intervention—the no-cost lead service line (LSL) replacement program—and evaluates the program’s impact on tap water lead levels. The project is currently in a pilot phase that includes qualitative fieldwork (interviews and a focus group) followed by a small-scale randomized controlled trial. The intervention for the subsequent small-scale randomized controlled trial has not yet been finalized; its design will be determined based on evidence gathered from the qualitative work. At present, we anticipate testing one or more encouragement strategies that may include community-based outreach or modest financial incentives, aimed at complementing the water utility’s existing procedures.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Hu, Siyuan, Robert Metcalfe and Fanyu Wang. 2025. "Encouraging Lead Service Line Replacement in Disadvantaged Communities." AEA RCT Registry. November 19. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17241-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-04-01
Intervention End Date
2026-07-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Household's consent to participate in the publicly-funded lead service line replacement program.
Tap water lead concentrations.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Evidence from the qualitative work will inform the final design of the pilot intervention. The trial will test one or more encouragement strategies intended to increase participation in the existing replacement program. These may include community-based outreach or modest financial incentives, designed to complement the city water utility’s standard procedures.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Household
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
100 households in a pilot study.
Sample size: planned number of observations
100 households in a pilot study
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
28 in control, 72 in treatment.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Human Research Protection Office, Columbia University
IRB Approval Date
2025-11-14
IRB Approval Number
IRB-ACYY0247
Analysis Plan