Since 1989, the Biagi Plumbing family has had the privilege of protecting the health, safety, and comfort of our neighbors across Chicago’s North Shore. We know that your home is your sanctuary, and keeping your family safe is always your top priority. Lately, we’ve spoken with many homeowners who have opened their mail to find unexpected notices from their local villages regarding lead water service lines. If you received one of these letters, or if you’re wondering about the safety of the pipes in your pre-1980s home, we want to reassure you: you are not alone, and navigating this transition doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
There is a lot of information circulating right now about the new state mandates, municipal rules, and the health risks of lead pipes. As your trusted local plumbing team, we’re here to cut through the confusion with clear, honest answers and the supportive guidance you deserve.
The Reality of Lead Water Lines: Why the Urgency?
A water service line is the underground pipe that delivers fresh, clean drinking water from the main city street grid directly into your house. For decades, before the mid-1980s, lead was a standard material used in these service lines because of its durability and flexibility.
However, medical and environmental sciences have conclusively shown that lead is a toxic heavy metal that can leach directly into drinking water over time. While most North Shore municipalities do an excellent job treating public water to minimize this risk, the underlying truth remains: no amount of lead exposure is safe, especially for developing children. The only permanent, foolproof solution to guarantee toxic-free water is the complete physical removal of the lead pipe itself.
The Illinois Mandate: An “All-or-Nothing” Safety Rule
To address this widespread safety issue, Illinois passed the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act—one of the strongest consumer safety laws in the country. This law requires every city and town across the state to systematically inventory and completely replace every single lead service line.
One of the most critical aspects of this law is the strict prohibition against partial fixes. It is now completely illegal to patch or repair just a section of a lead line. Why? Because cutting into a lead pipe shakes loose microscopic toxic debris, which can actually cause lead levels in your drinking water to temporarily spike. If a lead pipe is touched for a repair, or if a town replaces the public side under the street, the entire line—all the way into your home—must be completely replaced at the same time.
Who Pays? Understanding Your Town’s Specific Rules
Because the state law leaves the execution up to individual municipalities, how your replacement is managed and funded depends entirely on the town you live in. Here is a snapshot of how some of our primary North Shore communities handle it:
• Lake Forest & Lake Bluff: In these communities, the homeowner owns the water service line in its entirety. This means the complete responsibility for hiring a licensed plumber and covering the replacement falls under the homeowner’s retail purview. The cities are actively mailing notices to addresses with confirmed or unknown lines to prompt action.
• Glencoe: The village operates under a helpful hybrid model, offering to reimburse a substantial share of the replacement cost for the private portion of the line, currently offering a 50% rebate up to a set $10,000 cap.
• Highland Park & Evanston: These cities generally take responsibility for replacing the public portion of the lead line under the street or parkway. However, the homeowner remains responsible for replacing the private portion running through their yard and into the house. In Evanston, if you replace your private side, the city coordinates its public-side replacement at no additional charge to you.
Will My Beautiful North Shore Landscaping Be Destroyed?
This is one of the most common anxieties we hear from homeowners. Many North Shore properties feature mature trees, pristine lawns, and custom hardscaping that have taken years to perfect. The thought of a massive, deep trench cutting across the yard is understandably stressful.
The good news is that traditional, destructive trenching is a thing of the past. At Biagi Plumbing, we specialize in a trenchless technology called directional boring. Instead of digging up your entire lawn, our skilled crews dig small, targeted access points near the street and your home foundation. We then use specialized equipment to smoothly guide a new, high-quality Type K copper pipe directly through the ground, completely bypassing your prized landscaping.
Most of our residential replacements are completed in just one single day, meaning minimal disruption to your daily routine and absolute peace of mind by dinner time.
Take the First Step: Check Your Status with Biagi
If you have received a letter from your village, or if you live in an older home and want to ensure your water is completely safe, please don’t worry. The team at Biagi Plumbing is here to handle everything for you—from definitively verifying your pipe material and pulling village permits, to helping you navigate local cost-share paperwork and performing a flawless, clean installation.
Let’s protect your home together. Call our fully licensed, family-owned team today at (847) 512-8921 to schedule a brief inspection or to discuss your village’s notice. Your peace of mind is worth it.