DeKalb City Council supports plan for lead water service line replacement

DeKALB - The DeKalb City Council expressed unanimous support Monday for a plan to use $1.1 million in COVID-19 relief funds to replace about 200 lead-lined water service lines for DeKalb residents.

The plan would also include reimbursing homeowners a portion of the cost for replacing parts of the water lines from the water main to shutoff boxes on privately-owned property. Seventh Ward Alderman Tony Faivre was the only council member absent from the Monday meeting.

DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas said replacing about 200 service lines to the shutoff box plus the residential incentive would cost about $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars the city received a year ago. The replacement costs would also be funded in part by an additional $100,000 allocated in Act dollars to the city of DeKalb from DeKalb County government, Nicklas said.

“That way, the homeowner has some skin in the game,” Nicklas said.

City officials supported the plan in part because it would help relief DeKalb residents of paying for it in full. Lead service line replacement is mandated under the the Illinois Lead Service Line Notification and Replacement Act, which went into effect Aug. 30, 2021. It requires Illinois water systems to begin removal of lead service lines in their respective municipalities no later than Jan. 1, 2027. and meant to minimize potential lead exposure caused by contaminated drinking water and aging pipe infrastructure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no safe level of lead in drinking water.

Nicklas said the council was already committed to helping with the replacement of lead service lines in DeKalb, and sought council guidance on how to proceed.

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First Ward Alderwoman Carolyn Morris said she wanted to encourage city residents to pursue the full lead service line replacements.

“I think that it’s a valuable infrastructure change,” Morris said. “I think over time, you’re just going to see these lead pipes degrade more and more and become a greater problem in the household. So I think we need to take care of it while we’re at it.”

Second Ward Alderwoman Barb Larson said if the city is going to offer the added private line replacement incentive, she’d like to see the city not have to dig the same hole twice.

“I always like to be more proactive than reactive,” Larson said. “So if the city’s going to go ahead and do the street portion to the shutoffs, I think it would be great to be able to offer the homeowners at the same time, maybe some assistance.”

Third Ward Alderman Tracy Smith said he believes the program would also help with home values within the city.

“We’re putting our best foot forward,” Smith said.

Following the Monday meeting, Nicklas said next steps would include notifying residents who would be affected by the plan.

Nicklas said city staff also will work on getting the project to bid and, if the weather cooperates, the city could break ground on replacements starting this summer.