Alderman Tom Tunney - 44th Ward Chicago

Alderman Tom Tunney
44th Ward
Seal_of_Chicago

Articles under Water Quality News

Lead Service Line Replacement Programs Taking Applications

Last fall the City has announced two new lead service line replacement programs for homeowners who would like to replace their lead service lines. If you live in a single-family or two-flat home built before 1986, it is likely that you have a lead service line. Chicago’s drinking water is in compliance with all industry, state and federal standards so replacement is completely voluntary.

  • Homeowner-Initiated Program. If a homeowner wants to hire a contractor and remove the existing lead service line, this program will waive the permit fees for the project. This could amount to a savings of up to $3,100. Additionally, the City will attach the new service line to the water main and provide a free water meter for the contractor to install, if there isn’t one already in place. To qualify, the request for the fee waiver must be a standalone and not made in conjunction with a home renovation or expansion.
  • Equity Lead Service Line Replacement Program. Under this program, you may be eligible for a free lead service line replacement all the way from the water main into your home plus installation of a free water meter to save money on your water bills if:
    • Live in a single-family or two-flat you own.
    • Have a household income below 80% of the area median income ($72,800 for a family of 4).
    • Have consistent results of at least 15 parts per billion of lead in your water in free testing by done by the Department of Water Management.

Residents interested in the Equity Program are encouraged to call 311 and ask for a water test kit to get started. More information on both these programs and links to apply can be found at: https://www.leadsafechicago.org/lead-service-line-replacement

2019 Water Quality Report

Every year, the Chicago Department of Water Management issues a report containing a complete analysis of our drinking water for the previous year. Once again, Chicago’s drinking water was found to meet all state and federal regulations for safe, clean water. You can find the full report at: www.ChicagoCCR.org plus a copy of the full report will be mailed to everyone with a water account.

For any resident concerned about the quality of their water, the Chicago Department of Water Management offers free water testing, Learn more and register for water testing at: www.chicagowaterquality.org.

Managing Stormwater at Home

Climate Change and Stormwater

There have been lots of stories this winter about the rising levels in Lake Michigan, the erosion of many of the city’s beaches and flooding along the lakeshore. As we see warmer winters and more intense storms, the Chicago Department of Water Management would like to remind you that there are simple steps you can take to help keep water out of our basement.

  • Do not dump fats/oils/greases in private drains or public catch basins.
  • Avoid running a dishwasher or washing machine during storms.
  • Disconnect downspout connections from the sewer system. Make sure to direct flow to areas with permeable surfaces that can properly absorb the stormwater or use rain barrels to collect the rain directly from the downspouts.
  • Install rain gardens, green landscaping, or stormwater trees in your yard to help retain rainwater.
  • Resurface driveways, parking pads, or patios with permeable pavement.

Additional information can be found at: https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/water/supp_info/conservation.html

 

 

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Chicago Water Quality: Lead Plans

Chicago’s Water is High Quality
Chicago has an excellent water source: Lake Michigan. The safety and quality of Chicago’s tap water is our top priority, and the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) continually monitors water quality and performs testing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chicago’s water meets or exceeds all standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Illinois EPA and the drinking water industry and passed its most recent review last month.

Children’s Lead Levels Drop Dramatically in Past 20 Years
The most important way to understand the health impacts of lead is to measure the level found in children. Chicago has achieved significant success in reducing the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels in recent years.

Today, less than one percent of children have elevated blood lead levels, as compared to 25 percent in the late 1990s. Additionally, since 2016, CDPH has offered water testing when conducting inspections for children with elevated lead levels. Of those tested, no child with an elevated blood level lived in a home where the water had lead levels at or above the EPA action level.

The cause of elevated blood lead levels in children is usually linked to exposure to and ingestion of lead-based paint.

Proactive Approach to Ensuring Water Quality for Future Generations
Chicago has always been a leader in water quality research. In 2016, DWM launched a first-of-its-kind study to determine the possible impact of water main construction and meter installation on water quality. This is groundbreaking research, as there is no comprehensive scientific study that explores the possible impact of water main construction or water meter installation on water quality. The sampling approach taken in the study is more rigorous than the methodology used for EPA testing – the study collects multiple samples and is more likely to detect lead.

While the study is ongoing, preliminary data indicates that:

  • The water main replacement program is not producing large changes in lead concentrations; the percentage of homes tested before and after main construction remained below the Lead and Copper Rule standard.
  • According to this preliminary data, water meter installation may have raised lead levels in 51 homes of the 296 homes in the study that have before and after samples. More than 80 percent of the homes studied did not have lead levels above the EPA action level after the installation of a meter.

More study is needed to analyze the relationship between water meter installation and lead levels, as the increase may not be related to the meter. For example, these homes may have higher lead levels because of low water usage, which would mean the protective phosphate coating isn’t sufficiently covering the home’s lead service lines and internal plumbing systems and preventing that lead from entering the water.

History of Lead Service Lines
Many older single family and two-flat homes built before 1986 are likely to have lead service lines connecting the individual home to the water main. These older homes may also have lead solder and older interior household plumbing containing lead.

Chicago, like other cities, has an aggressive anti-corrosion program in which blended phosphate is added to the water. The phosphate forms a protective coating on the pipes from the treatment facility to the faucet, minimizing the risk that lead and other contaminants will leach into the water.

Next Steps
Although further study is needed, the city will proactively take a number of actions out of an abundance of caution:

Homeowners’ Lead Service Lines

  • To address one of the primary causes of lead in water – lead service lines – DWM is working to determine the feasibility and framework of a multi-billion dollar program to potentially replace lead service lines. Other key causes are low water usage, fixtures and plumbing in the home.
  • DWM has engaged CDM Smith, a global engineering firm, to evaluate the total cost and multiple factors involved in replacing lead service lines, including developing a step-by-step phased replacement program, reviewing industry practices, investigating available technology and assessing funding options, including potential federal and state funding sources. Should the recommendations be adopted, Chicago would become the largest city in the nation to address this legacy infrastructure issue.

Water Meters

  • The city will provide water filters free of charge to any household that previously tested above the EPA action level. Previous testing has been conducted through the water quality study, 3-1-1 testing, EPA and CDPH testing programs.
  • Starting with the most recent meter installations, the city will notify metered homes of the preliminary data. These metered homes may request a water filter set free of charge.
  • Going forward, residents who request a water meter must provide informed consent and enroll in before and after testing to receive the meter. These residents will also receive a free water filter when their meter is installed since test results will not be instantaneously available.

Ongoing Free Water Quality Testing for Residents
Any Chicago resident can have a free test for lead or other particles.

Residents can call 3-1-1 to request free water testing at their address. Residents are notified about their individual results, and data from all homes is posted online at www.chicagowaterquality.org, with identifying information removed.

Residents who are concerned about lead levels are also encouraged to continue to flush, or run their water continuously for at least five minutes, before consuming water. Studies show that in almost every case, flushing remains an effective approach to lowering lead levels and exposure. Ways to flush include showering, as well as washing clothes and dishes.

Chicago Department of Water Management Announces Plans to Explore Lead Service Line Replacement

CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF WATER MANAGEMENT
ANNOUNCES PLANS TO EXPLORE LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT
Chicago stays at forefront of water quality efforts
Over past two decades, Chicago has reduced the percentage of children with elevated blood levels of lead from 25 percent to less than one percent – the key health measure for lead

 

Continuing Chicago’s proactive approach on the issue of lead, the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) announced that it is commissioning a report to determine the feasibility and framework of what would be a multi-billion dollar program to potentially replace lead service lines – the pipes that connect water mains to single family and two-flat homes – across the city. The report will develop a step-by-step phased replacement program, review industry practices, investigate available technology and assess funding options, including potential federal and state funding sources.

“The safety of Chicago’s water is our top priority; Chicago’s water consistently meets or exceeds all standards set by the U.S. EPA, Illinois EPA and drinking water industry,” said DWM Commissioner Randy Conner. “Not only will this report ensure that Chicago remains a leader in water quality efforts, the report will help Chicagoans continue to have a high degree of confidence in their water.”

DWM has engaged CDM Smith, a global engineering firm, to evaluate the total cost and multiple factors involved in replacing lead service lines.

Lead service lines are the pipes connecting water mains to homes. They are owned by and located on a homeowner’s property and are traditionally found in older single family and two-flat homes built before 1986. Addressing this legacy infrastructure problem would make Chicago the largest city in the nation to explore a complete lead service line replacement program, which would likely cost several billion dollars over multiple decades.

Once complete in the spring, the firm will present a report containing recommendations tailored to Chicago that would facilitate the replacement of lead service lines. CDM Smith has expertise in this field, and is the primary consultant for lead service line replacement projects in other cities.

This report will build on Chicago’s strong record of being a leader in water quality and in addressing the issue of lead for children, who are the most vulnerable to its health effects.

Chicago’s fight against children’s lead exposure has significantly reduced the percentage of children with elevated blood levels of lead – the key health measure for lead. Today, less than one percent of children develop elevated lead levels as compared to 25 percent in the late 1990s. Since 2016, CDPH has offered water testing when conducting inspections for children with elevated lead levels. Of those tested, no child with an elevated blood level lived in a home where the water had elevated lead levels. The city’s water also meets or exceeds all state and federal standards for lead, and passed its U.S. EPA review last month.

“The city’s work to address lead based paint hazards in recent decades has led to a significant reduction in the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels,” said CDPH Commissioner Julie Morita, M.D., who noted the primary cause of elevated blood lead levels in children is lead-based paint. “Even with this progress, we are committed to continuing our efforts to protect the public from exposure to lead.”

The city also provided an update on another ongoing study related to water quality. In 2016, DWM launched a first-of-its kind study to determine the possible impact of water main construction and meter installation on water quality because no comprehensive scientific study had previously explored the topic.

While the study is ongoing, preliminary data indicates that the water main replacement program is not producing large changes in lead concentrations. As such, no changes are warranted to the city’s 10 year capital plan to replace century-old water mains and aging sewer mains that is in progress.

Additionally, the ongoing study is examining the possible impact of water meter installation on water quality. Preliminary data from a small sample size indicates that meter installation may raise lead levels in a portion of homes, though more than 80 percent of homes tested in the study did not have lead levels above the EPA action level after the installation of a meter. The sampling approach taken in the study is more rigorous than the sampling used for EPA testing, and again, Chicago passed its regular water quality review by the EPA last month.

More study is needed to analyze the relationship between water meter installation and lead levels, as the increase may not be related to the meter. For example, these homes may have higher lead levels because of low water usage, which would mean the protective phosphate coating isn’t sufficiently covering the home’s lead service lines and preventing that lead from entering the water.

While initial data shows that 82.8 percent of the 296 homes in the meter portion of the study did not have an increase in water lead levels after meter installation, the city will take several actions out of an abundance of caution. Going forward, residents must provide informed consent and agree to before and after testing in order to have a meter installed. Further, homes getting a meter going forward will be given a free water filter set that includes a pitcher and six filters to use since test results will not be instantaneously available. DWM will also be contacting residents who have had a meter installed previously to notify them that they have the option of requesting a water filter set, starting with the most recent installations first and working backward. In addition, any household that previously tested above the EPA action level will also receive a water filter set free of charge.

As was the case previously, flushing the system – or running water continuously for at least five minutes after not using water for six hours– is encouraged for those concerned about lead levels, as studies show that in almost every case, flushing for at least five minutes provides virtually lead-free water that comes directly from the water main. Flushing should be done prior to using water for drinking or cooking, and residents may already flush without realizing it, as ways to flush include taking a shower, washing clothes or running the dishwasher. Additionally, as has long been the case, any resident may call 311 to request that their water be tested for free. If any residence tests over the EPA action level, DWM immediately notifies the resident and sends a plumber, sanitary engineer and an electrician to investigate a number of possible contributing factors and create a mitigation plan for the homeowner. The results of all tests are posted online at www.chicagowaterquality.org, with homeowners’ identifying information removed.