Welcome back to the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund’s First Friday Blog Series! Each month, we aim to bring you timely, relevant information and resources to empower you within your home, community, and networks. This October, we’re turning our attention to a critical infrastructure issue that affects water safety in many Chicago homes: lead service lines.
Lead Pipes in Chicago: The Hidden Threat
Many older homes and buildings in Chicago are still connected to water mains through lead service lines—pipes installed decades ago before the dangers of lead were fully understood. While efforts are underway to replace them, progress is slow. A recent report highlights that despite large allocations of federal and city funds, much of it remains unspent. Meanwhile, many residents have not yet been informed that their water might carry elevated lead levels.
Even where funds exist, the gap between commitment and execution is wide—and that carries real consequences for health, trust, and safety.
Why This Matters for Tenants & Communities
- Health risks — Lead is a neurotoxin. Exposure is especially harmful to children and pregnant people, and it accumulates over time.
- Disproportionate impact — Lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color are more likely to have older infrastructure and less capacity to demand upgrades.
- Compounded stressors — When you’re already juggling housing costs, utility bills, and repair issues, adding water safety to the list further burdens households.
- Trust & transparency — Renters may not know whether their building has a lead line, whether testing has been done, or whether mitigation (like filters) is provided.
What Chicago Officials Are Saying—and What’s Lagging
- The city has more than 412,000 confirmed or suspected lead service lines.
- There are hundreds of millions in federal and city pipeline replacement funds allocated, but a large portion remains unused to date.
- Notification requirements mandate that renters, homeowners, and landlords be informed—but only a fraction of that outreach has happened.
- City leaders have acknowledged staffing, logistics, and supply bottlenecks (e.g. sampling kits) as barriers to faster progress.
These obstacles signal that piecemeal or delayed action may continue unless there is stronger accountability and community pressure.
What You Can Do Now: Steps for Tenants & Advocates
- Check your home’s status
See if your address is listed as served by a lead service line—many city or third-party maps allow you to check online. - Request testing
Ask your landlord or water utility to test your tap water for lead. Document requests in writing. - Use certified filters or bottled water
If there’s uncertainty or risk, use filters certified for lead removal and flush taps before use. - Communicate with your landlord
Ask whether there is a plan for pipe replacement, who bears the cost, and when upgrades will occur. - Speak up & stay informed
Contact your alderperson, attend community meetings, and demand regular reporting on how many lines were replaced and how funds are spent. - Share knowledge
Help neighbors learn about lead risks and mitigation steps—especially those who may not receive official notification.
Looking Ahead: The Importance of Momentum in 2026
The risk is that if we don’t see a meaningful shift in pace, timelines for full replacement will stretch even further, exacerbating health impacts and inequality. The next year must be a moment of scaling up, not delays. Chicago needs both technical execution and civic engagement to push this forward.
At CLIHTF, we understand that safe, sanitary homes are part of what it means to live with dignity. Infrastructure issues like lead pipes may seem distant, but they affect everyday life in profound ways—especially for communities already facing resource constraints.
We’ll continue to follow developments, uplift community voices, and share actionable resources with you each First Friday.