CHICAGO — More residents are now eligible to have the city replace their lead service lines for free.
The Chicago Department of Water Management has worked for years to replace lead service lines, but it’s recently dropped some of the requirements for a program that allows residents to get the lines replaced for free, spokesperson Megan Vidis said. Now, most Chicagoans just need to qualify as low-income to apply.
Existing service lines, which transport water from the water main in the streets into homes, can be replaced with a copper service line through the Equity Lead Service Line Replacement program. Residents may also be eligible for installation of a free water meter to help save money on water bills.
The program can save homeowners up to $30,000, Vidis said.
To qualify for the program, residents must live in a single-family home or two-flat they own and have a household income below 80 percent of the area median income. A family of four, for example, must earn $83,350 or less.
People interested in the program can complete the application online and email it to lead.safe@cityofchicago.org or download the application and mail it to the Department of Water Management.
Priority for service line replacement projects will be given to residents who have children 18 and younger in their home and to those with elevated lead levels in their home as determined through a free water test kit from the Department of Water Management.
After applications are approved, residents will meet with a city-provided contractor to discuss the work, how it will be done and agree to it, according to the program’s website.
The city also has the Homeowner-Initiated Program, which waives permit fees for homeowners wanting to hire contractors to remove an existing lead service line. Through the program — which provides savings of up to $3,100 — the city will attach a new service line to the water main and provide a free water meter for the contractor to install, if there isn’t already one in place, according to the program’s website.
Plumbers can be selected by residents themselves or picked for a list of city-recommended plumbers.
More information on the program, including application requirements and how to apply, is available online.
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