Ottawa homeowners with lead water pipes can get help from the city under a plan that shares the cost of replacement.

The city will manage the replacement of the entire length of lead pipe — including the portion on private property that is the homeowner's responsibility — and share the cost with the homeowner through a pilot program announced Thursday.

It will also offer five- and 10-year financing plans to help homeowners cover their $2,000 to $3,000 cost for the work.

Lead pipes are found in around 28,000 Ottawa homes that were built before 1955, the city estimates.

Michel Chevalier, the city's manager of customer services, said homeowners who aren't sure if their pipes are lead should check the exposed pipe between their basement floor and their water meter.

"The best way to do it is take a little bit of sandpaper and scratch the pipe a bit. If it becomes reddish … then you know it's copper," he said, adding that lead pipes will remain grey.

Lead pipes can contaminate drinking water, and ingesting high levels can cause health problems such as developmental delays in children and kidney problems in adults.

On Wednesday, Ontario warned people not to drink the water at the provincial legislature building after tests showed lead levels above allowable limits. Earlier in the month, the Ontario government ordered 36 municipalities to test for lead contamination in water from the taps of older homes.