Illinois Lead Service Line Replacement Programs
Illinois water systems reported 609,945 lead and 57,405 galvanized service lines that must be replaced (EPA, Q3 2026). Below: the state rule on who pays, and every Illinois utility with at least 1,000 such lines or a confirmed program.
Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (415 ILCS 5/17.12)
Illinois was one of the first states to require full replacement of every lead service line. Each water supply must file a final replacement plan by April 15, 2027, then replace a set share of its lead lines every year, on a timeline of 15 to 50 years depending on how many it has. A utility may bill the owner for the private side only if it is not using state or federal money for that work, and an owner can sign a waiver to decline private-side replacement. Illinois EPA lends to water systems and forgives part of the loan in lower-income communities, which is why many Illinois programs are free.
Mandatory? Yes. Illinois requires every community water supply to replace all lead service lines, and partial replacements have been banned since January 1, 2022.
Funding: Illinois EPA Public Water Supply Loan Program (with principal forgiveness for disadvantaged communities).
Sources: news.wttw.com, agendadocs.downers.us
| Utility | Lead | Galv. | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Chicago | 350,531 | 10,326 | Free if eligible |
| Aurora Aurora | 16,063 | 0 | Free when scheduled |
| Rockford Rockford | 14,240 | 1,088 | Free |
| Cicero Cicero | 13,037 | 2 | Utility program |
| Peoria IL American-Peoria | 11,000 | 442 | Free when scheduled |
| Berwyn Berwyn | 10,527 | 301 | Free if eligible |
| Evanston Evanston | 9,198 | 270 | Free when scheduled |
| Elgin Elgin | 8,221 | 1 | Free |
| Oak Park Oak Park | 6,935 | 714 | Loan |
| Waukegan Waukegan | 7,260 | 62 | Utility program |
| Decatur Decatur | 0 | 6,535 | Cost share |
| Skokie Skokie | 6,222 | 127 | Cost share |
| Evergreen Park Evergreen Park | 5,933 | 48 | Cost share |
| Elmwood Park Elmwood Park | 5,825 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Bloomington Bloomington | 5,529 | 2 | Free |
| Quincy Quincy | 5,223 | 33 | Utility program |
| Lansing Lansing | 5,186 | 2 | Not confirmed |
| Maywood Maywood | 5,058 | 0 | Utility program |
| Moline Moline | 3,859 | 873 | Free |
| Calumet City Calumet City | 4,122 | 0 | Free when scheduled |
| Jacksonville Jacksonville | 3,391 | 525 | Utility program |
| Arlington Heights Arlington Heights | 3,832 | 0 | Cost share |
| Homewood Homewood | 3,753 | 6 | Utility program |
| Crete Crete | 573 | 2,901 | Not confirmed |
| La Grange La Grange | 3,400 | 0 | Cost share |
| Westchester Westchester | 3,399 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Park Ridge Park Ridge | 3,121 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Morton Grove Morton Grove | 3,108 | 0 | Cost share |
| Des Plaines Des Plaines | 1,497 | 1,578 | Program pending |
| Chicago Heights Chicago Heights | 2,794 | 18 | Not confirmed |
| Oak Lawn Oak Lawn | 2,209 | 497 | Utility program |
| Forest Park Forest Park | 2,548 | 0 | Free when scheduled |
| Pekin (Illinois American Water) IL American-Pekin | 36 | 2,484 | Free when scheduled |
| Dolton Dolton | 2,357 | 1 | Not confirmed |
| Franklin Park Franklin Park | 2,340 | 5 | Not confirmed |
| Springfield Springfield | 991 | 1,261 | Free if eligible |
| Calumet Park Calumet Park | 2,230 | 1 | Not confirmed |
| Lombard Lombard | 1,335 | 877 | Cost share |
| Kankakee (Aqua Illinois) Aqua Illinois-Kankakee | 311 | 1,895 | Free when scheduled |
| Wilmette Wilmette | 1,936 | 189 | Utility program |
| Metropolis Metropolis | 16 | 1,997 | Not confirmed |
| Brookfield Brookfield | 1,900 | 46 | Utility program |
| Antioch Antioch | 1,910 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| River Grove River Grove | 1,627 | 218 | Utility program |
| Highland Park Highland Park | 1,740 | 33 | Not confirmed |
| Champaign-Urbana (Illinois American Water) IL American-Champaign | 5 | 1,723 | Free when scheduled |
| Summit Summit | 1,259 | 232 | Not confirmed |
| Pana Pana | 1,485 | 6 | Not confirmed |
| Downers Grove Downers Grove | 1,285 | 181 | Program pending |
| Morris Morris | 1,435 | 12 | Not confirmed |
| Niles Niles | 1,399 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Hazel Crest Hazel Crest | 1,389 | 7 | Not confirmed |
| Robbins Robbins | 1,303 | 29 | Not confirmed |
| South Holland South Holland | 1,264 | 46 | Free |
| Harvard Harvard | 1,304 | 1 | Not confirmed |
| Bellwood Bellwood | 1,257 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Mattoon Mattoon | 0 | 1,257 | Not confirmed |
| Markham Markham | 1,239 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Kewanee Kewanee | 1,230 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Du Quoin Duquoin | 1,228 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Annawan Annawan | 1,218 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Anna Anna | 1,218 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Elmhurst Elmhurst | 1,201 | 4 | Not confirmed |
| Riverside Riverside | 1,114 | 27 | Utility program |
| Posen Posen | 1,121 | 1 | Not confirmed |
| East St. Louis (Illinois American Water) IL American-East St Louis | 749 | 351 | Free when scheduled |
| Lincolnwood Lincolnwood | 1,097 | 0 | Cost share |
| Winnetka Winnetka | 1,083 | 0 | Cost share |
| Litchfield Litchfield | 20 | 1,036 | Not confirmed |
| Woodstock Woodstock | 201 | 822 | Not confirmed |
| Granite City (Illinois American Water) IL American-Granite City | 697 | 130 | Free when scheduled |
| Pontiac (Illinois American Water) IL American-Pontiac | 181 | 502 | Free when scheduled |
| Alton (Illinois American Water) IL American-Alton | 140 | 374 | Free when scheduled |
| Danville (Vermilion County) (Aqua Illinois) Aqua Illinois-Vermilion County | 174 | 236 | Free when scheduled |
| Sterling (Illinois American Water) IL American-Sterling | 23 | 337 | Free when scheduled |
| North Maine (Cook County) (Aqua Illinois) Aqua Illinois-North Maine Utilities | 1 | 207 | Free when scheduled |
| Candlewick (Boone County) (Aqua Illinois) Aqua Illinois-Candlewick DVN | 207 | 0 | Free when scheduled |
Compare: lead lines in every state · cities with the most lead pipes · free programs in Illinois
Common questions
Who pays to replace lead service lines in Illinois?
Illinois was one of the first states to require full replacement of every lead service line. Each water supply must file a final replacement plan by April 15, 2027, then replace a set share of its lead lines every year, on a timeline of 15 to 50 years depending on how many it has. A utility may bill the owner for the private side only if it is not using state or federal money for that work, and an owner can sign a waiver to decline private-side replacement. Illinois EPA lends to water systems and forgives part of the loan in lower-income communities, which is why many Illinois programs are free.
Is lead service line replacement mandatory in Illinois?
Yes. Illinois requires every community water supply to replace all lead service lines, and partial replacements have been banned since January 1, 2022.
How many lead service lines are in Illinois?
Water systems in Illinois reported 609,945 lead service lines, 57,405 galvanized lines that need replacement and 487,630 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026), across 416 reporting systems.
Where can I get help paying in Illinois?
Start with your water utility's program; the table on this page shows what we've confirmed. State money flows through: Illinois EPA Public Water Supply Loan Program (with principal forgiveness for disadvantaged communities). If your utility has no program, see our guide to paying for replacement.