DeKalb continues plans to replace lead-lined water pipes for residents

DeKALB – As the city of DeKalb seeks to comply with state requirements mandating municipalities replace residential water pipes lined with lead, officials this week approved a series of steps meant to begin the replacement process.

The city already has an existing and growing local database used to identify which homes have lead pipes.

The DeKalb City Council recently approved a pair of contracts to move the plan forward. A $45,000 contract will go to Badger Hydrovac to help expose identified utility lines for replacement in the ground. And a $5,000 contract with Engineering Enterprises will perform excavation of the shafts down to the water service lines.

“We have to positively identify every service line in this city,” City Manager Bill Nicklas said. “We’ve gone about this for years now.”

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Illinois Lead Service Line Notification and Replacement Act into law in 2021. The bill was meant to lower health risks associated with lead in public water supplies by replacing aging pipelines and infrastructure under a set timeline.

One such thing complicating matters is the city owns the water service line only from the water main to the shut-off box, officials have said. The rest of the service line, which extends from the sidewalk to inside the home, is owned and maintained by the property owner.

Under the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency mandate, all community service lines must be dug and exposed to help identify the type of piping material with two points of verification for potential replacement.

If located and found to have unknown or galvanized iron pipe, the city treats them in the same manner as lead and must be replaced in their entirety without verification, city documents show.

The city’s Water Division has spent hours over the past several years inventorying its 10,717 water service lines in DeKalb. Of that, 171 lines were identified as unknown or having galvanized iron, documents show. If found to contain lead, those service lines will need to be replaced.

The city also has pursued a $3.1 million forgivable loan through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to help offset some of the engineering costs, city documents show. If granted, the work would begin in late June.

Nicklas said he hopes the city can obtain some help with this initiative.

“Hopefully, we get that EPA money to finish,” Nicklas said.

Engineering and hydroexcavating work would begin in the spring as the temperatures warm. Work is expected to take a few weeks to complete.

Mayor Cohen Barnes said he’s proud of where the city stands with its lead service line replacements.

“Being on the Illinois Municipal League and talking to mayors from around the state of Illinois, a lot of people are a lot further behind on their lead pipe replacement than we are,” Barnes said. “Definitely got to commend the water department and city administration as well as for just really staying on top of that. It’s nice to know that if we had the funds in a couple of years we could eliminate the last of the lead pipe plans.”