Dupage Policy Journal

The Roselle Village Board discussed their lead service line replacement program during a meeting held on Feb. 27.

Illinois municipalities are legally required by a 2021 law to replace all lead service lines within their jurisdiction. The mandated timeline is gradual, with a certain percentage of pipes needing to be replaced each year starting in 2024 as long as the municipality has been maintaining a pipe inventory and project plan for replacements.

One issue with the replacement process is that many lead pipes still in use are service lines running from the main to each individual home. Most of them are also the responsibility of each property's owner, so many cities are reaching out to residents to form agreements regarding cost-sharing and construction projects focusing on being efficient and financially conservative.

Roselle has started contacting village residents on Maple Avenue, as the project there will be the first on lead service lines impacting residents. The majority of public responses stated that residents would be open to working with the village contractor to replace the service lines, but they still wanted to know how much the move would cost. Bids for the project are expected to be sent out in March, and Roselle will share price estimates with interested residents from April through May, with construction taking place from June onward.

After home surveys, it was also revealed that 10 out of 24 residences likely had copper service lines and did not need to adjust them.

Public Works Director Karen Young presented multiple cost-sharing options to the board, including a fee waiver, a 12-months-zero-interest option, deferred payment through the Village, and private banks if property owners wish to use them. The board discussed various options, including a potential grant fund for low-income residents and a no-interest loan throughout the village, although they insisted that the options had limits as they did not want to lose too much funding through inflation and lack of accrued interest. The final decision on funding methods was set to be made at a later meeting.

"There's only three options," Roselle Mayor David Pileski said in the meeting. "You either go with the Village and have our contractor do the work and you're paying for it in some method, you're hiring your own contractor to do the work, or you're signing an EPA waiver. There are only three options."