City of Elgin’s Drinking Water

January 2024 Update

In September 2023, U.S. EPA (EPA) sent a follow-up letter to Illinois EPA (IEPA) regarding recent sampling results showing elevated lead levels in the City of Elgin’s drinking water. EPA advised the state to EPA advised the state to work with the City of Elgin to take additional measures to identify and reduce lead exposure in the city’s drinking water, including enhanced outreach around testing and filter programs, follow-up testing for lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities, expanded blood lead level testing, and utilization of available federal funding to support lead testing and reduction efforts. EPA appreciates the actions taken by the city and state since the agency expressed concern in November 2022, and looks forward to working together on these critical next steps to protect public health.

December 2022

In November 2022, in response to the latest sampling results, EPA contacted IEPA strongly urging the state to take a series of actions – from offering free blood lead level testing to potentially impacted residents to accelerating the removal of lead service lines – to address the elevated lead levels in the City of Elgin’s drinking water. EPA has continued to work closely with IEPA as a co-regulator to provide technical support, assistance, and guidance. EPA appreciates IEPA’s swift response to the agency’s recommendations, as well as the actions taken by the state and city to notify residents, provide filtration treatment to homes with the greatest exceedances, and improve drinking water quality, including by taking additional steps that go beyond the requirements of the Lead and Copper Rule. EPA’s number one priority is protecting the health and safety of all people and all communities, and we will continue to closely monitor the situation in Elgin and provide support to state and local authorities.

Background

EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) requires water systems to take actions including corrosion control treatment, lead service line replacement and public education based on sampling results. Under this rule, sampling for lead and copper is conducted at the tap. Systems compare sample results from homes with lead service lines and lead containing plumbing materials to the action level of 15 ppb. These “Tier 1” homes (homes with lead service lines or leaded solder) are the locations where elevated levels of lead would be expected if the corrosion control treatment is not effective. If 10 percent of the samples from these homes have water concentrations that are greater than the action level, then the system must perform public education and lead service line replacement.

In 2021, EPA concluded that there are significant opportunities to improve the LCR. To deliver clean drinking water, and replace lead pipes, EPA is developing a new proposed rule, the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), that will strengthen the LCR. EPA identified priority improvements for the LCRI: proactive and equitable lead service line replacement, strengthening compliance tap sampling to better identify communities most at risk of lead in drinking water and to compel lead reduction actions, and reducing the complexity of the regulation through improvement of the action and trigger level construct. EPA intends to promulgate the LCRI prior to October 16, 2024.