City Water, Light and Power announced on Wednesday that its lead service line replacement work is well underway for the 2025 year.
It noted that, thanks to a $2.9 million federal allotment provided through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Public Water Supply Loan Program (PWSLP) State Revolving Fund (SRF) in 2024, approximately 400 homes in Census Tracts 16 and 23, within Wards 2 and 3, low-income areas where CWLP has identified a high density of lead service lines, will have their lines replaced. Work began in March and is expected to be complete in 2027.
CWLP operations and maintenance funds are covering the cost of replacement for the utility-owned portion of lead service lines.
In addition, over the next several weeks, all CWLP customers with confirmed lead service lines, suspected lead service lines, or galvanized steel service lines downstream from lead lines will receive notice about the potential health risks associated with lead exposure and best practices to reduce exposure. This notice will go out to approximately 9,000 impacted CWLP water customers in pre-1930s construction and is required to go out annually until all lead service lines or galvanized steel lines located downstream of lead are replaced.
CWLP also stated that “…regulatory lead service line water sampling results have been favorable, largely due to the utility’s water treatment process and the higher pH of the water, which limits the risk of metals, such as lead, leaching into Springfield’s drinking water from lead service lines and plumbing fixtures containing lead or copper. However, in situations where water is left standing for extended periods in plumbing systems and service lines where lead or copper pipe or solder exists, contamination into drinking water is a possibility.”
The City Water Light and Power lead awareness and safety page, https://cwlp.com/LeadAwareness.aspx, provides information on lead and drinking water safety, along with information on its lead line survey and replacement program.
