Some Edgewater Homeowners Can Have Their Lead Water Lines Replaced For Free

EDGEWATER — The city is embarking on an $8 million sewer main replacement project in Edgewater in which homeowners are eligible to have the service lines into their homes replaced at no cost. 

The Department of Water Management is replacing 9 miles of sewer main across the city, and about half a mile of that is in the 48th Ward, said Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, whose ward includes this project. The general boundaries of this portion of the project are Victoria Street, Hollywood Avenue and Olive Avenue between Ridge Avenue and Clark Street.

The sewer main work is intended to increase capacity and address longtime issues of flooding along Glenwood Avenue and surrounding blocks, according to the alderwoman’s office. The city said some of these lines date as far back as 1833. 

The sewer main construction has already started and is expected to finish in May, while work on the lead service lines — which carry water from the water main into private residences and businesses — is expected to finish in September, Manaa-Hoppenworth’s office said. 

The city is replacing the lead service lines at no cost to homeowners — a project that could be valued between $20,000-$40,000 per home, according to the city. 

The Department of Water Management is sending letters to eligible homeowners, and outreach teams have been knocking on doors to get as many peopled enrolled as possible, Manaa-Hoppenworth said. 

“Typically, [the Department of Water Management] sees an enrollment of about 85 percent of eligible homes. Our goal is 100 percent,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said. “We want our water to be safe for all of our kids and for generations to come. But we need people’s help to actually enroll into this program.”

Anyone with questions about this can reach out to Manaa-Hoppenworth’s office. 

Partial street closures and no parking signs will be implemented throughout construction. Neighbors can also expect construction noise 7 a.m-4 p.m.

Lead service lines are a massive issue in Chicago, with an estimated 400,000 still in place citywide in homes built before 1986. The city has been slowly replacing them in recent years, but the overall project is expected to take decades and cost billions of dollars.

Exposure to lead can lead to serious health problems, especially among children.

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