Construction crews are in the process of replacing older lead pipes connecting North Chicago’s water supply to 150 homes as the city begins its multiyear program to improve the drinking water for its residents at no expense to them.
With fewer than 1,000 homes in North Chicago containing lead pipes, Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. said the initial focus this year is on the Broadway corridor. Homes built after 1990 most likely have copper pipes. Older houses, some more than 100 years old, contain lead pipes.
“I’m glad to see we are getting this done in our older homes,” he said. “People with lead pipes will be able to feel better about the water they are receiving. We will continue to replace them until this is taken care of.”
The city is continuing to replace lead pipes with copper ones in the older houses in the community with funds from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), ridding the community of pipes that might harm people or contaminate water.
While North Chicago is at the start of its lead pipe replacement program, Waukegan began its effort three years ago. It has completed work on approximately 1,200 homes of the 9,000 it believes need replacement. It is currently engaged in a public information campaign.
Steve Cieslica, North Chicago’s city engineer, who works for Trotter and Associates, said this year’s project is funded by a $2.4 million forgivable loan from the IEPA. The IEPA is administering federal funds generated by former President Joseph Biden’s infrastructure bill.
Cieslica said the city recently learned it would receive $4.8 million in a forgivable loan from the IEPA next year, enabling more lead pipe replacement. The IEPA also offers more in a 40-year interest-free loan. The city intends to complete the project without using city funds.
Another goal is to finish the project before the 2037 federally mandated deadline to rid the country of lead pipes without using city funds or passing the cost to homeowners. Rockingham said it is a high priority.
“We’re trying very hard to allow for this to be done without being a burden on our residents,” the mayor said.
Once the crews finish their work, Cieslica said in some cases lawns were excavated and reseeded. Residents can help by watering the newly planted area in the parkway in front of their homes.
“Please help the grass get established by lightly watering the area in the evening,” Cieslica said. “Grass should begin to grow within seven to 10 days. Regular watering will help it establish more quickly.”
In Waukegan, Antonio Dominguez, the city’s superintendent of water utility who is overseeing the lead pipe replacement project there, said more than $9.2 million will be available for replacing lead pipes for the fiscal year which started May 1.
Of the more than $9.2 million, Dominguez said $4.93 million is in the form of a forgivable loan, slightly more than $2 million is in the form of a 40-year interest-free loan, and $2.3 million is allocated in the city budget for the current fiscal year.
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said to a crowd of more than 200 people at a City Council meeting this month that the city is conducting an education campaign, going to community events, making presentations at ward meetings and other gatherings. He asked for community help.
“When we come and knock on the door in your area, your friends’ area, please, please let us in to change these lead lines,” Cunningham said. “If these lines are not complete, guess who is going to start paying for those lead replacement lines then? Us.”