Lead service line replacement: free and low-cost options

Do you have a lead service line?

• Age is the first clue. EPA says lead pipes are more likely in homes built before 1986 (EPA). Lead-Safe Chicago says a house or two-flat built before 1986 is highly likely to have a lead line unless it was replaced during a renovation or addition (Lead-Safe Chicago).
• Ask the experts. EPA says to contact your water utility or a licensed plumber to find out whether your home has a lead service line (EPA). EPA’s Protect Your Tap quick check walks you through looking at the pipe yourself.
• Test your water. Chicago residents can request a free water test kit from a certified lab. If results come back above EPA’s action level of 15 parts per billion, the city sends a team to recommend fixes (Lead-Safe Chicago). Outside Chicago, EPA says testing typically costs $20 to $100. Your water supplier may also know whether your area’s service lines are lead (EPA).

Lead service lines are common. Chicago says it has almost 400,000 (Lead-Safe Chicago), and the Illinois EPA says utilities reported 667,275 lead lines statewide in 2020 reporting-year data (Illinois EPA).

Chicago’s replacement programs

• Equity program (free). Owner-occupied homes with household income below 80% of the area median income may qualify for a free replacement from the water main into the home, plus a free water meter. Households with kids 18 and under, or with elevated lead found in city testing, get priority. You apply online or with a paper form (Lead-Safe Chicago).
• Homeowner-initiated program. Hire your own contractor to remove the full line and the City waives permit fees, connects the new line to the main and provides a free meter if you don’t have one. The fee waiver has to be a standalone project, not part of a renovation (Lead-Safe Chicago). Other agencies, such as IDOT, may still charge permit fees depending on where you live (Lead-Safe Chicago).
• Breaks and leaks. If your service line breaks or leaks, calling 311 is mandatory. The Department of Water Management schedules a free replacement of both sides (Lead-Safe Chicago).
• Block-long replacements. When the city replaces water or sewer mains on your block, it may replace affected lead lines for free (Lead-Safe Chicago).

Outside Chicago: Illinois rules

Illinois’ Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act took effect January 1, 2022, and requires water systems to inventory and replace lead service lines (Illinois EPA). Lead-Safe Chicago notes that since January 2023, state law bans partial replacements, so both the private and public sides must be replaced (Lead-Safe Chicago). Ask your own water utility whether it offers help paying.

Protect your family in the meantime

• EPA says there is no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood (EPA).
• Use only cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula. Boiling water doesn’t remove lead (EPA).
• The longer water sits in pipes, the more lead it may contain, so run the tap before drinking. If you use a filter, use one certified to remove lead (EPA).
• Chicago offers free filter sets to some homes, including those with test results over 15 ppb, a meter installed through MeterSave, or main work on the block (Lead-Safe Chicago).
• After any replacement or nearby construction, the city recommends NSF-53 certified filters for the first three months (Lead-Safe Chicago).

Hiring a plumber for the job

• Replacement means a new copper line from the main into the house. It can be done with an open trench, or trenchless methods that disturb less of the yard (Lead-Safe Chicago).
• Get written estimates from more than one licensed contractor, and ask who pulls the permits.
• For work over $1,000 in Illinois, get a written contract and the “Home Repair: Know Your Rights” pamphlet (Illinois Attorney General).

Trying to lower the water bill too? See our water bill guide and our plumbing guide.