Water Service Survey
In 2022, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) enacted the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (Act). Its purpose is to require owners and operators of community water supplies to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive water service line material inventory and replacement plan. This is intended to allow communities to prioritize and strategize the replacement of known lead service lines within their water distribution systems.
In response to these requirements, the Village began gathering information and taking all steps necessary to identify lead water services throughout the community. This information has generally been collected from the Village’s construction records and the recent AMI Project, as well as from permit records that would have involved water service replacement. However, regardless of the efforts taken so far, there is still a substantial amount of information that needs to be acquired in order to understand the full extent of lead water services within River Forest.
To that end, the Village needs your help in identifying your water service material. By way of background, a water service is the small pipe (often between ¾” and 2” in diameter) that brings water from the Village’s water main to your home or building. A typical water main/water service layout can be seen here. Water services in River Forest are usually found to have been constructed of copper, galvanized or lead piping. Representative photos of each can be seen below:
To help identify additional water service materials throughout the Village, Staff has created a brief photo survey that we encourage all residents and business owners to take. It should only take a few minutes to complete but it will enable our team of Water Operators to visually see the type of material present in your home or business. The only information requested is contact information in case additional questions arise and two photos of your water service/meter. One of the requested photos is from approximately 2’ away from the meter and the other is from approximately 10’ away from the meter. Representative photos of each can be seen below:
The piping that we are looking to identify is that portion coming up through the floor (or through the foundation wall) as identified below:
The information gathered from this survey will be added to the Village’s database and will help establish the extent to which lead piping remains in-place. This critical information will be used to determine which water services may or may not need to be replaced in future years in order to completely eradicate lead piping from the water supply network. Please click the button below when you’re ready to take the survey:
Water Service Survey
As the Village continues to collect information related to lead water services, the database will be updated accordingly. If you’re interested in seeing whether or not your address might be associated with any known lead water service piping, you can click the button below to view an interactive map of the Village which shows all known water service piping materials:
Water Service Material Map
Please be patient as we continue to update this map with information as it is submitted/obtained.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will this work be funded?
The Village will continue to pursue all funding opportunities available for this work. In 2023, a low-interest loan has been secured through the IEPA in the amount of $2,255,000. The 2023 project scope will be based on this amount. Future project scopes will be determined based on future funding sources.
Are property owners responsible for any portion of the cost?
As this project is still in its infancy, this component has not yet been determined. This may be dictated by the funding sources (grants, loans, local funding, etc.) which may change from year to year and may have requirements of their own. The Village will continue to seek funding from State and Federal sources to minimize any potential costs to residents. Once a funding policy is established, this FAQ will be updated to more clearly address this question.
The Village just replaced my water meter and/or transmitter in 2022, does this project still apply to me?
The work that was performed in 2022 by the Village and their contracted installer, Professional Meters, Inc. (PMI) was part of the Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Improvement Project. The goal of that project was to install infrastructure that allows for automated "remote" meter reading on a daily basis in lieu of the former practice of manual, monthly meter reading by staff. This system allows for the tracking of water consumption by each user and can detect potential leaks much more readily through the Village's WaterSmart Program. Additional information on the AMI Improvement Project can be found here and additional information on WaterSmart can be found here. However, the AMI Improvement Project was associated only with replacement of the meter and/or transmitter and had no impact on the water service piping material.
What are the procedures for notifying residents when performing scheduled lead service line replacement?
45 days prior to conducting work, the owner or operator of a Community Water Supply shall attempt to contact the building owner by mail. If no response is received within 15 days of the initial request, the owner or operator shall post the request on the entrance to the building.
What if the building owner does not allow access for lead service line replacement?
A waiver developed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) must be signed by the building owner. The building owner is then responsible for installing and maintaining point-of-use filters in perpetuity until the lead service line is replaced. If the building owner refuses to sign the waiver, IDPH will be notified in writing within 15 days.
How do I address a lead service line encountered during an emergency repair?
If a leak is found on the “public” side of the water service (between the water main and the buffalo box - typically in the parkway) it is the responsibility of the Village to address. If the service consists of lead piping, a full service replacement is required and will be coordinated by the Village after notification of the property owner – likely through the Lead Service Line Replacement Subsidy (LSLR) Program. If a leak is found on the “private” side of the water service (between the buffalo box and the residence) it is the responsibility of the property owner to address. Again, if the service consists of lead piping, a full service replacement is required and the work may be eligible for reimbursement under the LSLR Program.
If immediate access for full lead service line replacement is not granted to the Village, partial repairs may be made. The owner of the building and all occupants will be notified and provided with a point-of-use filter by the Village. The remainder of the lead service line must be replaced within 30 days of the emergency repair (120 days if impacted by adverse weather) by the property owner.
Are partial replacements or point repairs allowed on lead service line (other than the previously discussed exception)?
No. The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act expressly prohibits partial lead service line replacements or point repairs. When repairing/replacing a lead service line, the Village is required by the IEPA to ensure that the service line is replaced in its entirety by the owner, including, but not limited to, any portion of the service line running onto private property and within the building’s plumbing up to the first shut-off valve.