Elgin alerts residents of elevated levels of lead in drinking water

For the second time this year, Elgin is alerting residents after some drinking water samples exceeded allowable lead levels during a recent test.

The city takes 100 random samples every six months as part of its routine water-quality testing. Notifications must be issued if more than 10% of the homes tested exceed a lead concentration of 15 parts per billion.

The citywide notification is being issued after officials say 18 of the 100 water samples in recent testing measured above the allowable threshold.

City officials say the source of the lead likely is service lines leading from the city's municipal water pipes to residents' homes. Lead is not present in Elgin's source water or in the city's treated drinking water, according to water Director Eric Weiss.

"We're striving to put measures in place to replace service lines as expediently as possible to homes throughout the city," Weiss said. "Unfortunately, it's very expensive and it's going to take a while."

The city issued a similar notification in February after testing in October 2021 showed elevated lead in 22 of 100 samples. Testing this spring found only eight samples above the action level.

Elgin has roughly 13,000 lead service lines. Homes and buildings built or plumbed before 1988 frequently used service lines, solder or fixtures made of lead, which can enter the drinking water if those materials corrode. About half the houses in the city were built before 1988.

Residents can find out if their home may have a lead service line by visiting the city's interactive online dashboard at cityofelgin.org/lead to search by address. The dashboard also shows real-time progress of water service line replacements.

For the past decade, the city has replaced the public portion of lead water service lines when residents commit to replacing their privately-owned portion of the lead service line. About 600 lead service lines have been replaced since 2018 under this initiative, with another 850 lead service lines budgeted for replacement in 2023.

The city is using $13.5 million of the $19.5 million it received in American Rescue Plan Act funds to replace lead service lines, in addition to $8 million in state funding. That will replace about 1,600 lead lines.

Because of a state mandate, the city has 40 years to replace all the lines at an estimated total cost of about $135 million.

While officials know the likely cause of the contamination, the city is in the middle of a corrosion control study in hopes of figuring out why the numbers spiked.

"We haven't identified any major changes that would make our water more corrosive," Weiss said.

Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters the body from either drinking water or sources like lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust or soil.

Children 6 and younger and pregnant women especially are vulnerable.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. Human skin does not absorb lead in water, so bathing and showering offer no risk even if lead is present.

The city adjusts the pH and alkalinity of the water during treatment so that it forms a scale on the inside of lead pipes. The scale helps prevent the lead from leaching into the water. The corrosion control study will help determine if any other adjustments can be made.

In the meantime, the city is offering free testing to residents living in single-family residential homes built before 1988.

The notification from the city offers several recommendations to reduce exposure to lead in water, including flushing pipes that haven't been used in several hours for about 5 minutes or until it becomes cold. Faucet filters also are an effective and inexpensive way to reduce lead.