Lead Service Lines

The Village provides water to approximately 2,800 residential and business customers.

The DuPage Water Commission (DWC) purchases Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago and in turn, distributes and sells it to member communities, including Clarendon Hills.

Water supplied by the Village meets all Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) standards, including those for lead.

 More information on Lead Service Lines can be found on the Illinois EPA website: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/drinking-water/public-water-users/lead-service-line-information.html

 LEAD COMPLIANCE

The State of Illinois enacted an Illinois Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act with an

Effective Date of January 1, 2022

 Key highlights of that Act are:

1. All communities must prepare and maintain comprehensive water service line material inventories (LINK TO CH INVENTORY)
2. All systems with LSLs must prepare a LSLR Plan and submit it to the State (LINK TO CH PLAN)
3. Requires full lead service line replacement if any part of LSL is affected/disturbed (but allows for property owners to waive that requirement for the portion of the line they own) (LINK TO WAIVER)
4. Added notification requirements to potentially affected buildings before construction/repair work (LINK TO SAMPLE NOTIFICATION)
5. Creates the LSLR Fund and considers revenue options for low-income households. (Low-income residents are encouraged to contact the Public Works Director to discuss financial options to remove obstacles to lead service line replacement.)

 Lead pipes were banned by the U.S. EPA after 1986. Simply having a lead service line does not necessarily mean you have lead in your water. However, when a lead service line corrodes or is disrupted during maintenance, you may be at risk for contamination.

 Water customers will receive notification from the Village regarding lead risks when one of the following occurs: 

1. The replacement of a watermain on your block.
2. The repair of a watermain break on your block or between the next isolation valve.
3. The replacement of your water meter.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lead

What is lead? 

Lead is a naturally occurring metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed. Lead can be found in air, soil. dust, food, and water. 

How can I be exposed to lead? 

The most common source of lead exposure is from paint in homes and buildings built before 1978. Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are the main sources of lead exposure in U.S. children. Lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978. 

Although the main sources of exposure to lead are ingesting paint chips and inhaling dust, lead can also be found in some household plumbing materials and some water service lines. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure to lead may come from lead in drinking water. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water. 

What are the risks of lead exposure? 

Lead can cause a variety of adverse health effects in people who are exposed. These effects may include increases in the blood pressure of some adults; delays in normal physical and mental development in babies and young children; and, deficits in the attention span, hearing, and learning abilities of children. 

How does lead get into my drinking water? 

Lead is rarely found naturally in our source water or in the treated water flowing through the distribution system. More commonly, lead leaches into water over time through  corrosion- a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and your plumbing. Lead can leach into water from pipes, solder, fixtures, faucets (brass) and fittings. The amount of lead in your water depends on the types and amounts of minerals in the water, how long the water stays in the pipes, the water's corrosivity, and water temperature. 

The Village’s water supply utilizes a corrosion inhibitor as part of its water treatment process. Our corrosion inhibitor contains a proprietary polyphosphate/orthophosphate blend that is meant for lead/copper corrosion control and iron and manganese sequestration.

How will I know if my drinking water has lead in it? 

The Village of Clarendon Hills regularly tests the water at a select number of high-risk homes. The Village of Clarendon Hills recently completed its mandated Lead and Copper Rule sampling in September 2023 with a 90th percentile value of 2.19 ppb and more than sixty-five percent of the homes tested received non-detect results. No locations exceeded the 15 ppb action level.

You can also have your water tested for lead. Since you cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only way to tell whether there are harmful quantities of lead in your drinking water. It is recommended that you use a certified laboratory. 

Is my home at risk for lead plumbing? 

The EPA defined high-risk homes as follows: 

• Homes with a lead service line that connects the water main to your home's internal plumbing. 
• Homes with copper pipe and lead solder built after 1982 and before 1988. 
• Homes with lead pipes. 

In 1986, Congress enacted the "lead ban," which stated that not only public water systems but also anyone else who intends to install or repair drinking water plumbing connected to a public water system, must use "lead-free materials." As a result, homes built in or after 1988 are far less likely to have lead solder. 

How can I reduce my exposure to lead in my drinking water? 

There are many steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water. 

• Run your water to flush out lead. If it hasn't been used for several hours, run the water for three to five minutes to clear most of the lead from the water. In an effort to conserve water, you can catch the flushed tap water for plants or other household uses such as cleaning. Check out the Flushing Instructions page for suggestions and recommendations on best practices for flushing your home.  
• Always use cold water for drinking and cooking. Never cook with or drink water from the hot water tap. 
• Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce the lead content. 
• Periodically remove and clean the faucet screen/aerator. While removed, run the water to eliminate debris. 
• Consider investing in a home water treatment device or alternative water source. When purchasing a water treatment device, make sure it is certified under NSF/ANSI-53 to remove lead. 
• Identify and replace plumbing fixtures containing lead. Brass faucets, fittings, and valves may leach lead into drinking water. Products sold after Jan. 4, 2014, must by law contain very low levels of lead (0.2 percent by weight); however, prior to 2014, plumbing products could contain up to 8 percent lead by weight. 
• Have a licensed electrician check your wiring. Your home electrical system may be attached to your service line or elsewhere in your plumbing. If this connection is electrified, it can accelerate corrosion.  

Should I test my children for exposure to lead? 

Children at risk of exposure to lead should be tested. Your doctor or local health center can perform a simple blood test to determine your child's blood-lead level.