Lead in Drinking Water
State and Federal regulations & statutes require municipalities to remove lead contamination from public water sources to provide clean and healthy drinking water. The City is actively removing lead and galvanized water lines to protect our residents from potential health risks associated with lead contamination.
Aurora's drinking water fully complies with the standards set by the State and Federal Governments and our water treatment plant conducts routine water sampling for lead and other contaminants.
Lead Service Replacement Open Data Portal
The City of Aurora's drinking water fully complies with the standards set in the Federal Lead and Copper Rule. The city Water Treatment Plant monitors the chemistry in city drinking water every day, and there is no detectable level of lead in the finished water pumped from the Water Treatment Plant.
Basic Information About Lead in Drinking Water
Lead is a common, naturally occurring metal found throughout the environment. Lead seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and lakes, and lead is rarely present in drinking water coming from a treatment plant. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of corrosion or wearing away of materials in the water distribution system and household plumbing that contains lead.
Lead is a concern because it can cause long term effects if it builds up in the body over many years. Children are more vulnerable to lead because their bodies are smaller and because they are still developing. Pregnant women and their unborn babies are also at higher risk for negative health effects associated with lead exposure.
Where Lead is Most Common Detected
There is no detectable level of lead in the finished water pumped from the City of Aurora's Water Treatment Plant or the city's water distribution system. However, lead can dissolve into your drinking water if water sits for several hours in your plumbing fixtures or your service pipes that contain lead. Lead levels in drinking water are likely to be highest in homes with
- Lead service lines (pipes) connecting the water main in the street to your home
- Lead indoor plumbing
- Copper plumbing with lead solder
- Brass fixtures containing lead
Lead levels vary from home to home and are dependent on lead sources between the water main in the street and an individual household tap. Pipe materials vary substantially across the city, even among homes located on the same block. The concentration of lead in drinking water varies among homes within the city. Homes built prior to 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures, and solder.
Responsibilities of the City
The City is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials previously installed in plumbing components from the water main to your home. Thus, minimizing lead exposure is a shared responsibility of the City of Aurora and individual residents. It is strongly advised that drinking water customers remove any lead pipes and lead plumbing materials serving their home.
Find Out if Your Indoor Household Plumbing Contains Lead
Contact a licensed plumber to inspect your pipes. Check the lead content in brass faucets, valves, and fittings. The manufacturer should be able to provide information about the percentage of lead in your plumbing and fixtures. Almost all faucets, valves, and fittings have brass components. Until 2014, brass faucets and fittings sold in the United States and labeled "lead-free" could contain up to eight percent lead. Effective January 2014, the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act specifies that these materials may not contain more than 0.25% lead.
Water Service Line Material Inventory and Replacement Plan
The City’s lead water service open data portal provides the public with access to the City’s lead service replacement program including replacement timeframes and current government regulations. The portal also serves to provide lead service replacement dashboards, an online lead material survey, lead replacement forms, and an interactive material map.
If you are interested in notifying City staff about possible lead service line replacements, please fill out our short survey, available in English and Spanish.
In accordance with Illinois Public Act 102-0613, City staff developed a Lead Service Line Replacement Plan. The City is obligated to replace approximately 3% of all lead lines starting in 2027 until full removal. The plan details how City staff will meet this goal in conjunction with planned capital improvements to reduce total replacement costs. Additionally, plan discusses how staff developed the lead service line material inventory used to prioritize and plan replacement projects. Please click here(PDF, 12MB) for the Replacement Plan.
To see the City of Aurora's 2024 Water Service Line Material Inventory, please click here(PDF, 8MB). For any questions regarding this information, please contact the City of Aurora at 630-256-3200 or email waterlines@aurora.il.us.
Lead Service Replacement Project – Contract 1
Construction of the replacement of approximately 600 lead water service lines at various locations throughout the City of Aurora for the Lead Service Replacement Project – Contract 1 were financed by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF). The SRF program is administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and receives a portion of its money to fund these types of projects from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This project includes replacing lead water service lines from the water main or water shut off valve to the water meter at various locations throughout the City of Aurora. Once complete, it will improve water quality for area residents and businesses in the City of Aurora by reducing the lead levels in drinking water. SRF programs operate in each state to provide communities the resources necessary to build, maintain, and improve the infrastructure that protects one of our most valuable resources: water.
Proyecto de Reemplazo del Servicio de Plomo - Contrato 1
La construcción del reemplazo de aproximadamente 600 líneas de servicio de agua con plomo en varios lugares de la Ciudad de Aurora para el Proyecto de Reemplazo del Servicio de Plomo - Contrato 1 fue financiado por el Fondo Rotatorio Estatal de Agua Potable (SRF). El programa SRF es administrado por la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Illinois y recibe una parte de su dinero para financiar este tipo de proyectos de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE. UU. Este proyecto incluye reemplazar las líneas de servicio de agua de plomo desde la tubería principal de agua o la válvula de cierre de agua hasta el medidor de agua en varios lugares de la Ciudad de Aurora. Una vez completado, mejorará la calidad del agua para los residentes y negocios del área en la Ciudad de Aurora al reducir los niveles de plomo en el agua potable. Los programas de SRF operan en cada estado para proporcionar los recursos necesarios a las comunidades para construir, mantener y mejorar la infraestructura que protege uno de nuestros recursos más valiosos: el agua.
FAQs: Lead Service Lines
In April, the City submitted an inventory of all water service line materials connected to the water system to the Illinois EPA. The Federal Lead and Copper Rule (40 CFR Part 141 Subpart I) requires any municipalities with lead lines to notify all affected households annually after inventory submission.
The letters do not indicate a change in operation of the water system nor an exceedance of lead levels by the City. They are a required notification meant to inform households that the City believes they are serviced or served by a lead line and provide information on how to mitigate the risks.
Lead particulates can attach to the inside of downstream galvanized piping. This lead may later leach back into the water system. An unknown service line means that the City does not know what material your service line is made of. The EPA dictates that any unknown materials must be treated as lead-containing until determined. If you received a letter stating you are serviced by an unknown water line, please fill out the short survey, available in English and Spanish, to help identify the material.
When lead enters into the water supply it poses a health risk, particularly for developing children and pregnant women. The City reduces the corrosive properties of water at the Water Treatment Plant to reduce heavy metals entering into the water system. Additionally, the City’s annual testing program has never exceeded the EPA’s lead threshold.
However, homes with lead fixtures or serviced by a lead water line still have potential to corrode and release lead particulate. The only way to know whether your tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in your drinking water.
A certified laboratory can test your water for a small fee, typically between $40-50. Two certified laboratories that can assist you with the process of properly collecting a water sample and submitting it for analysis are:
First Environmental Laboratory
1600 Shore Rd, Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 778-1200
Eurofins Eaton Analytical
110 S Hill St, South Bend, IN 46617
(574) 233-4777
There are around 17,300 lead lines within the City. Starting in 2027, Aurora is mandated by the IEPA to annually replace approximately 3% of the total initial lead service lines, or about 700 service lines each year, until 2060. The City currently conducts this activity as part of its Capital Improvement Plan which includes water main and/or sewer main installation and repair. Through this program, your lead service line will eventually be replaced by the City at no cost to you. However we cannot guarantee that your line will be replaced in the next several years.
A homeowner owns the entire water service line to the water main and is welcome to replace the portion of the water line on private property at their own expense. If a homeowner chooses to replace that portion of their line, the City within 30 days at its own expense will replace the section of the service line from the water shut-off valve (known as a B-Box) to the water main. It typically costs the homeowner $4,000-6,000 to replace the portion on private property. Please reach out to the engineering division if you have additional questions or would like to move forward with this option to expedite the service replacement.
- Remove any interior pipe or plumbing fixtures within the home that may contain lead – older fixtures often contain lead solder – and purchase low-lead or lead-free fixtures.
- Water filters rated for lead removal (NSF 53) can reduce lead to 5 PPB or less.
- Flushing your water system – stagnant water may concentrate lead particulate. Anytime water sits within a fixture for six hours or more, it is recommended to flush that line. Flushed water can be used for non-consumptive purposes such as watering plants or washing clothes. Also, after flushing the tap, fill a couple of pitcher-sized containers with drinking water and place them in a refrigerator for drinking or cooking uses later.
- Clean faucet aerators monthly – aerators can capture sediment and debris, potentially concentrating lead particulate.
- Use cold water for cooking or preparing formula. Hot water may release more lead into the system. Note that boiling water does not remove lead but may concentrate it as the water volume decreases from boiling.