Brookfield is launching the first phase of its lead service line replacement project to remove lead water service lines in the village and replace them with copper pipes.
The project is part of a statewide mandate to eliminate lead exposure from drinking water to improve public health.
The first phase of the project is estimated to cost $4 million, according to Brookfield’s 2024 budget. Vincent Smith, director of public works, said the large scale of the project, rising costs of materials and the cost of restoration all contribute to the total cost.
The village is planning to fund the initial portion of the project through a low interest Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loan, which will be paid back using the local water tax that was increased by 18.5% in 2021.
The $4 million loan will cover about 333 lead service line replacements at a cost of $12,000 per line, according to an email with Doug Cooper, finance director.
Smith said the village needs to repair or replace water lines, and that under new Environmental Protection Agency rules, those water service lines must be replaced in whole rather than in part to avoid any contamination.
Lead can enter drinking water through the corrosion of plumbing materials, such as lead pipes and fixtures. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead plumbing materials.
The village of Brookfield estimated that there are 3,200 lead service lines, according to Cooper.
As a result, the project will replace the entire lead water service line – from the water main in the street to the water meter inside the home.
Smith said the project is an environmental win for residents and consumers.
“Essentially we’re removing a lead water service line that is a known hazard and replacing it with copper and delivering water through an approved material,” he said.
Homeowners who do not want to participate in the project will need to sign a waiver within 30 days of receiving a notice from the village acknowledging that they are not permitting the village to perform the private work.
The village will only pay for the lead service line replacement from the water main till the private property line.
The home owners will have to pay the cost of replacement from the private property line to the house.
According to Cooper, there is currently no policy or known price range for the home owners, which will be made known when they receive the IEPA loan.
“It depends on the circumstances,” Cooper said. “Currently, for the most part, the village is replacing lead service line with verified leaks and covering the cost.”
Those waivers will have to be submitted to the EPA and the department of public health so that they have a record of the homeowner’s decision.
Smith said the coordination of the project will primarily take place between the contractor and homeowners. He said the village will provide information and assistance to homeowners throughout the process.
According to the village engineer Derek Treichel, the project will start sometime between next April and June, depending on when village receives the IEPA loan.
Treichel also assures residents that although they are replacing the lead water lines, there is no current hazard for village residents.
“We don’t have any information that leads us to believe that there’s lead in the water, we’re following the EPA mandate that they want to replace all of these lead services when they’re disturbed,” Treichel said.
The village will put the contract for the project out for bid and the company that will do the replacement is not determined yet.
The project is dependent on good weather conditions and might stop water service in a particular area for a couple of hours, which the village said it will notify residents about in advance.