Lead deadlines daunting Chicago compliance efforts
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Chicago must replace its lead water pipes over two decades — at a clip of 20,000 a year starting in 2027 under recent federal rules — but the city's current plan puts it way behind that schedule, WBEZ reports.
Why it matters: Under the timeline Chicago submitted to the state last spring, the city would complete its removal of 400,000 lines 30 years after the federal deadline, exposing hundreds of thousands more children to lead in their water.
Threat level: Health authorities stress that no level of ingested lead is safe, but one-third of all homes voluntarily tested by the city showed high levels of lead in their drinking water, according to a 2022 Axios analysis.
Between the lines: Statements from the Chicago Department of Water Management (CDWM) suggest the city's failure to align with state and federal requirements could stem from funding woes and expectations that the Trump administration will rescind Biden-era lead policies.
What they're saying: "Replacing 20,000 lines a year without sufficient financial support is an immense barrier to compliance," CDWM spokesperson Megan Vidis told Axios.
- Vidis also referred to the finalized lead law as merely a "proposed" rule.
Reality check: Republicans tried unsuccessfully to repeal the lead removal law last February.
The latest: The city has also fallen short of federal rules that require municipalities to notify residents about the risk of lead in their water.
- As of July, the city had only alerted 7% of the 900,000 people it is required to contact, WBEZ reports.
The other side: Vidis called the notification requirement "an unfunded mandate" that would cost about "$8,500 a month in administrative and postage costs" to execute.
- "It is impossible to send approximately 900k letters in 30 days, and we do not have the resources available to process and respond to the 10%-12% of follow-up requests we get for water testing on that compressed timeline," she said.
Be smart: If you live in a Chicago house, two-flat or four-flat built before 1986, your home is likely connected to the water main with a lead line.
- Before drinking water in the morning, you should flush one of your taps for five minutes and filter any drinking water with a filter certified to remove heavy metals.
- Homeowners who want to replace their lead lines before municipal authorities do it can hire contractors at an average cost of $25,000 or more.
What's next: Chicago must start enacting the 20,000 yearly line removals in 2027, if the federal rule remains in place.