Homewood trustees agreed Tuesday, Sept. 30, that the village should provide basic restoration of home disruptions caused by lead water line replacement work.
Village staff asked for clarification on that issue before it begins to assess contractor bids on the project.
Public Works staff provided two options for trustees to consider as part of the lead water line replacement project, which has been mandated by the federal government and is managed by the state. Over the next 10 years, municipalities must offer to replace any lead service lines. Property owners are not required to accept the offer.
Line replacement work is expected to begin in early spring of 2026.
The purpose of the federal mandate is to remove lead from water lines. Lead can leach into water if pipes corrode. According to a 2021 article in The Conversation, “Lead has permanent impacts on the brain, particularly in children. Health experts widely agree that there is no known ‘safe’ blood lead concentration.”
The process of replacing the lines is designed to minimize impact on lawns and buildings, according to Public Works Director Josh Burman. There will be cases where digging is required that will mean lawn repair and possibly interior repairs where new lines enter buildings.
Paul Hurley, with engineering consulting firm Burns & McDonnell, described the process to the board.
Contractors will be using horizontal boring to minimize disruption to lawns, he said. The process involves digging two pits, one at the water main to install a new tap and one where the public right of way meets the property line, where a new shutoff valve will be installed. From the second pit, crews will drill laterally to the building.
Option 1 was full restoration of the property by replacing interior areas “like-in-kind” with a contractor, making necessary structural repairs, replacing disturbed driveway or sidewalk sections, restoring lawn with sod, reinstalling fencing, replacing disrupted landscaping “like-in-kind” pavers, flower bed pavers, etc.
Option 2 was basic restoration by removing debris, making necessary structural repairs, replacing disturbed driveway or sidewalk sections, hydroseeding lawn area and reinstalling fencing. The property owner would be responsible for interior cosmetic repairs and exterior landscaping replacements.
Burman said if the scale of the project was smaller, he would like to do full restoration for every property affected, but Homewood will have to replace up to 4,363 lead service lines, and full restoration would drive up costs on what is already projected to be a $70 million project over 10 years. He told the board that basic restoration is more financially feasible.
Mayor Rich Hofeld said the program benefits property owners, not only by removing a potential health risk but also by protecting the value of their property.
“If a resident didn’t participate … it certainly affects the value of their home if they were to sell it,” he said. Village Attorney Chris Cummings noted that property owners will be required to disclose the presence of lead pipes during sale procedures if they opt out of the replacement project.
The village expects to replace 267 lead service lines in 2026 and then about 410 each year through 2036, depending on funding and the number of property owners who opt in.
Homewood received a $4.1 million loan from the state that will pay for the first year of the project.
The first priority will be given to schools, daycares, public facilities, the library and senior living facilities, Burman said.
Village Manager Napoleon Haney said staff has been consulting with La Grange Park and Brookfield officials, where work has begun, to learn from them.
“We’re not creating new protocols. These are protocols that other communities in Illinois are following,” he said. “We’re using some of these communities to help guide us. So, to make sure that we are right in line with the standards that most communities are implementing. And these communities are also in the thick of it right now.”
Related stories:
- Burns & McDonnell hired to manage lead line replacement bids (July 26, 2025).
- Homewood to borrow $4.1M for lead line replacement (July 7, 2025).
- Homewood holds hearing on lead line replacement project (April 26, 2025).
- Water rate study looks for ways to fund lead line replacement (Dec. 16, 2024).
