EVANSTON, IL - On Friday, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss joined Vice President Kamala Harris, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, and state and local leaders from across the country for a White House Summit on Accelerating Lead Pipe Replacement.

At the Summit, Vice President Harris announced a new Biden-Harris “Get the Lead Out” Partnership, a coalition of federal government, states, Tribes, local communities, water utilities, labor unions, and nongovernmental organizations that has committed to advance a shared set of principles to accelerate lead service line replacement. Evanston is one of three Illinois municipalities to join the coalition, along with the Village of Hazel Crest and City of Zion.

“Getting the lead out of public and private water service lines is not just an investment in our infrastructure, it's an investment in the health and wellbeing of our community members,” said Mayor Biss. "Evanston has already taken several initial steps towards our goal of replacing all lead water services, and I look forward to building on this momentum with the support of our state and federal partners."

With more than 11,000 existing lead water service lines constituting approximately 77 percent of Evanston water services, the City is working toward replacing all public and private sides of lead service lines over the next two decades. 

In 2023, the City will implement a Lead Service Line Replace (LSLR) Pilot Project, providing no-cost replacement of private-side lead water service lines to an estimated 150 households in low- to moderate-income areas. An additional 160 lead service lines will be replaced in 2023 in conjunction with the City’s 2023 Water Main Replacement Project. 

The City also recently launched a Lead Service Line Replacement workforce development program, which hires and trains Evanston residents in the skills needed for lead service line replacement and street restoration. The program was implemented in partnership with the City’s youth outreach team, supporting the City’s violence prevention efforts.

For more information about the City’s lead service line replacement projects, visit evanstonleadreplacement.org or call/text 847-448-4311.