Lead pipes in Lake County, Illinois
How many lead pipes are in Lake County, IL?
Water systems based in Lake County reported 13,863 lead service lines, 181 galvanized lines that need replacing and 9,996 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026). Waukegan has the most, with 7,322 lead and galvanized lines.
Who pays 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.
Confirmed programs in Lake County
- Waukegan: State-funded city replacement projects.
Every Lake County water system with lead lines
Systems are grouped by the county EPA lists as their main service area. Some serve towns in neighboring counties too.
| Water system | Lead | Galv. | Unknown | Program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan Waukegan | 7,260 | 62 | 686 | Replacing lines; ask about cost |
| Antioch Antioch | 1,910 | 0 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Highland Park Highland Park | 1,740 | 33 | 1 | Not confirmed |
| North Chicago North Chicago | 849 | 0 | 4,804 | Not confirmed |
| Barrington Barrington | 422 | 10 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Libertyville Libertyville | 310 | 0 | 575 | Not confirmed |
| Deerfield Deerfield | 276 | 0 | 1,396 | Not confirmed |
| Highwood Highwood | 271 | 0 | 9 | Not confirmed |
| Lake Forest Lake Forest | 250 | 0 | 31 | Not confirmed |
| Grays Lake Grayslake | 175 | 0 | 5 | Not confirmed |
| Wauconda Wauconda | 165 | 2 | 1,567 | Not confirmed |
| Lake Bluff Lake Bluff | 109 | 0 | 2 | Not confirmed |
| Mundelein Mundelein | 46 | 52 | 32 | Not confirmed |
| Zion Zion | 25 | 16 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Lake Zurich Lake Zurich | 24 | 2 | 28 | Not confirmed |
| Round Lake Round Lake | 14 | 0 | 19 | Not confirmed |
| Winthrop Harbor Winthrop Harbor | 13 | 0 | 804 | Not confirmed |
| IL American-del-mar IL American-Del-Mar | 0 | 4 | 12 | Not confirmed |
| West Shore Park Subdivision West Shore Park Subdivision | 2 | 0 | 16 | Not confirmed |
| Bannockburn Bannockburn | 1 | 0 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Towners Subdivision Towners Subdivision | 1 | 0 | 9 | Not confirmed |
Systems over the new 10 ppb lead action level
Highland Park (11 ppb, 2025-07 to 2025-12); Barrington (13 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06); Highwood (76 ppb, 2022-01 to 2024-12); Lake Forest (21 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06); Grays Lake (11 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06); Zion (11.2 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06); Towners Subdivision (12.1 ppb, 2022-01 to 2024-12). See all systems over 10 ppb.
Common questions
How many lead pipes are in Lake County, IL?
Water systems based in Lake County reported 13,863 lead service lines, 181 galvanized lines that need replacing and 9,996 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026). Waukegan has the most, with 7,322 lead and galvanized lines.
Who pays to replace lead service lines in Lake County?
It depends on your water utility. Illinois was one of the first states to require full replacement of every lead service line. We have confirmed programs for 1 Lake County utility, listed on this page.
How do I find out if my house has a lead service line?
Look up your address on your water utility's service line inventory map, or check the pipe where it enters your home: lead is dull gray, soft, scratches to shiny silver, and a magnet won't stick. See our step-by-step guide.
Other Illinois counties
Cook CountyKane CountyWinnebago CountyPeoria CountyDupage CountyMacon CountyRock Island CountyMcLean CountyMorgan CountyWill CountyMcHenry CountyHenry CountyIllinois →