Chicago suburbs find elevated lead levels in water, step up testing, safety measures

2 Chicago suburbs warn about elevated lead levels in drinking water

Two suburban communities are taking action after detecting elevated lead levels in their water systems.

ELGIN, Ill. - Two suburban communities are taking action after detecting elevated lead levels in their water systems.

Recent water testing in Elgin found elevated lead levels in drinking water in some of the homes and buildings most at risk, city officials announced Tuesday.

Officials in Aurora also alerted the public to elevated levels amid ramped-up testing measures.

By the numbers:

Routine monitoring earlier this year showed that 48 out of 100 tested homes and buildings — primarily those built before 1988 with lead service lines — had lead levels above the federal action level of 15 parts per billion. The 90th percentile value of the samples reached 43 parts per billion.

City officials stressed that lead is not found in Elgin’s source water or in treated water from the city's plants; rather, it comes from corrosion in lead service lines or plumbing fixtures connecting homes to the water system. The city now uses a more stringent "fifth liter" sampling method to better measure lead in those service lines, which is likely why levels appeared higher.

The city's response:

Elgin is launching a multi-year, $150 million effort to replace every lead service line in the city at no cost to homeowners. The city is currently replacing about 1,000 lead lines a year, with roughly 2,790 lines replaced since 2018.

Other measures include offering free water filters and lead testing for residents in homes built before 1988, expanding community education, and partnering with local health departments to prevent exposure.

The city also maintains an online dashboard where residents can check if their property has a lead service line and track replacement progress. Officials recommend residents flush faucets for at least five minutes before drinking or cooking, especially after water has been sitting unused.

Lead exposure can cause serious health risks, particularly for young children and pregnant women, including developmental delays and damage to the brain and kidneys.

What you can do:

Residents can learn more or request free filters and water tests at elginIL.gov/lead or by calling 311.

Aurora Also Takes Action:

The City of Aurora, on Tuesday, also issued a public notice alerting residents that lead service lines are contributing to elevated levels of lead in drinking water in certain homes.

 This comes amid ramped up routine lead testing across the area, which now takes place twice per year. Instead of collecting 50 samples every three years, Aurora and other cities are taking 100 samples every six months.

Between January and June of 2025, Aurora officials report that 19% of the water samples taken exceeded acceptable levels of lead determined by the EPA, which is 15 ppb (parts per billion). 

"We're not only sampling more and more frequently, but we're also sampling a different section of the water," said Jason Bauer, the acting city engineer and acting director of Aurora Public Works. 

Bauer shared that samples are now pulled from deeper parts of water service lines.

"We're no longer testing that first liter right there at the faucet, we're actually testing water that's been sitting in that lead service line out in the front yard," Bauer explained. 

Since 2018, the city has replaced more than 2,500 lead service lines but still has about 16,000 left to change out. 

Bauer says the majority of homes with higher lead levels are older.

"The bulk of our lead lines are focused closer to the downtown, so the older part of town, basically anything constructed after 1980," Bauer said. "The water that leaves the treatment plant has no lead in it; there's no lead in the distribution system. The bulk of where you're going to see any lead leaching into the water is in the lead service lines, or it's going to be in internal plumbing, or it's going to be in end fixtures, the faucets themselves."

What you can do:

Homeowners in Aurora can check their water line service inventory and explore ways to reduce lead in the drinking water at the city's website.