Has the city done all it can to make its lead service line replacement program accessible?

Chicago leads the country in one dubious statistic: the number of people who receive their drinking water through lead pipes. Some 400,000 Chicago homes have lead service lines, though the service line material inventory is incomplete, and there could be thousands more.

After decades of neglecting the issue, Chicago launched its lead service line replacement program in 2020, offering eligible residents financial assistance to replace their lead service lines with much safer copper pipes. The Equity Lead Service Line Replacement program was meant to start small: Mayor Lori Lightfoot promised to replace 650 lead service lines by the end of 2021. As of December 2022, 280 have been replaced.

The city’s lead crisis is emblematic of Chicago’s environmental justice issues. A Guardian article published in September 2022 revealed that analysis of water tests have shown that predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are disproportionately exposed to waterborne lead, exacerbating existing health inequities. Rather than addressing the issue at a glacial rate, ensuring equal access to clean and safe drinking water should be at the top of the city’s agenda. Lead needs to be responded to as the serious public health issue that it is: a brain-damaging toxin that children are particularly susceptible to.

Accelerating the speed of service line replacements is a must to deliver Chicago residents with the clean and safe water that they deserve. Progress on replacing lead service lines requires that the city enhance the accessibility of its lead service line removal program and make residents more aware of their vulnerability to lead.

City officials know that the service replacement program has difficulty recruiting participants. In a webinar hosted this past summer, Water Commissioner Andrea Cheng stated that a major challenge of the Equity Lead Service Line Replacement Program is that most applications that are submitted are incomplete. Many residents, concerned enough about lead in their water to be seeking line replacement, nevertheless struggle to submit the required supporting documents. The intrepid residents who have managed to complete their program applications have expressed frustration at the cumbersome process. Website crashes and slow or non-existent responses, combined with the extensive list of required documents, raise serious barriers to would-be applicants.

The city cannot cite insufficient household demand as the reason for slow service line removal rates if it does not simplify the arduous application process and ensure its functionality. People who are disproportionately exposed to lead are particularly unlikely to have the available time and resources to navigate a long and difficult application journey. A reconsideration of the amount of documentation being asked for is necessary. At the moment, the application requires identification and income documentation for each household member, in addition to property documentation. One change the city should consider is accepting proof of government assistance as proof of income eligibility for the Equity Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

For example, if a family receives government assistance from programs such as SNAP food benefits or Medicaid, then the family has already indicated that they need financial assistance. Instead of requiring this family to submit extensive documentation again to prove their income eligibility for a lead service line replacement, the program should allow them to send proof of these benefits as proof of income. Instead, the current program requires applicants and their household members to submit tax forms or alternatives such as three recent paystubs or Social Security statements.

Increasing awareness of the lead service replacement program offers a second avenue to boost participation. Program marketing is largely confined to its website, Lead-Safe Chicago, which most residents are not likely to stumble upon. The city could host more community outreach events to discuss the application process and promote sessions where program staff is available for in-person help. Mailing brochures about the program to city homes, sending representatives to speak at community meetings, and holding public hearings where residents can provide input are other channels for raising awareness.

In short, the city has at its disposal many proactive steps that can rectify known shortcomings of the Equity Lead Service Line Replacement Program. Addressing its underwhelming progress is feasible and even easy, while doing better by Chicago residents is a must.

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The Public Policy Studies major at the University of Chicago attracts scores of excellent undergraduate students. All of these students take part in a capstone experience in their senior year. A new option for the capstone experience is the Policy Project Seminar, a one-quarter course devoted to honing policy analysis and communication skills. The theme adopted for the inaugural Autumn 2022 Project Seminar was “Chicago Through a Policy Lens.” The Chicago Policy Review is pleased to present this op-ed as part of our “Outside Voices” series.