Chicago’s Lead Inefficiency

As Chicago is struggling to keep up with deadlines to warn residents about lead exposure, millions of dollars in federal and city loans dedicated to replacing aging lead pipes remain unused. Chicago has more than 412,000 confirmed and suspected lead service lines that service nearly a million residents, but the notification and replacement process is taking a long time. The city doesn’t anticipate replacing all of their lead pipes until 2076, meaning thirty more years of exposure to toxic metals in drinking water. Lead exposure can cause all kinds of serious health issues including brain damage and developmental delays. An estimated $320 million in loans has been offered to the city of Chicago to fix this problem, but little has been done to start the project. Our Health Equity champions alternative solutions to costly and ineffective lead line replacement programs, like Folmar Pipe Protection™, that make the goal of lead free water a reality faster. Read more here.