Village aims to fund lead-pipe replacements throughout Wilmette, seek grant and loan opportunities

Wilmette officials are earmarking more than $50 million to cover a large-scale public infrastructure project that the village hopes to complete over the next 10 years. 

Erik Hallgren, Wilmette’s assistant village manager, offered trustees an update on the lead service line replacement project during the board of trustees’ Tuesday, Aug. 27 meeting. 

Hallgren’s brief presentation focused mainly on the village’s funding plan for the project, while also highlighting the need to move planning and work forward. 

The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act, which was signed into law in 2022 by the Illinois General Assembly, requires that all lead service lines be replaced in Illinois. Based on the current water service line inventory, Wilmette is expected to have approximately 2,200 service lines that must be replaced by 2044, Hallgren told trustees during the meeting. 

Wilmette officials have discussed the project since its passing in 2022, but planning for the work has accelerated this year. 

Trustees directed the board’s finance subcommittee in May to review financials for the project. The Village Board then subsequently opted to move with a 100 percent village-funding model following recommendation from the finance committee. 

Hallgren said that the estimated total cost for the project is approximately $50.6 million, noting that each lead service line replacement costs about $23,000.

To finance the project, the village identified both short- and long-term funding mechanisms, per Hallgren. 

In the short term, the village is planning to utilize funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, grant funds and water fund reserves. For long-term funding, the village is planning to pursue a 30-year no interest loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. 

To be eligible for IEPA loan and/or federal grants, the village must take on a 100 percent funding share of the project, Hallgren noted. 

Wilmette has replaced 67 lead service lines thus far and plans to replace an additional 106 over the next two years in conjunction with the village’s resurfacing road work plan. 

“As we’re going out and tearing up the streets or doing other public service investments, we want to make sure we’re replacing lead services lines at the same time so we’re not tearing up those streets twice in a short amount of time,” Hallgren said. 

While the state’s law requires replacement by 2044, Wilmette is hoping to complete replacement in the village within the next 10 years. Accelerating the program was also a recommendation from the finance committee. 

Tuesday’s discussion was an introduction of the ordinance outlining the project’s planning and trustees will formally vote on adopting it during their next meeting on Sept. 10.  

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