2026 Lead Service Line Replacement Program

UPDATES

The City of St. Charles is pleased to inform you that the Lead Service Line Replacement Program is underway. While the City treats and tests water to ensure it is lead free when it leaves the treatment facility and travels through the water mains, some older buildings in our community may still have lead containing service lines, plumbing materials, or fixtures. Lead can enter drinking water through these service lines and the building’s internal plumbing. The city is offering the opportunity to replace the water service from the watermain to the meter in your building. This will help reduce the risk of lead entering your drinking water.

A water service is a small diameter pipe that supplies drinking water from the main line. The city owns the water service from the main line to the property line (curb stop). The remainder of the service line located on the property is private and typically enters the building at the basement or a crawl space. The city’s water meter is generally located where the water service enters a building. Depending on the location of the city main, the remainder could be in the street, side yard or back yard. 

The city will be replacing the publicly owned water service to the property line (curb stop). With the homeowner’s permission, the city has made the commitment to replace the privately owned lead or galvanized water service to the meter inside of the building at no additional cost to the homeowner.

The city encourages the homeowner to allow replacement of the private service line. Based on Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency recommendations and requirements. A full line replacement has been shown to decrease lead levels in the drinking water.

The replacement program will typically involve 3 steps:

Step 1: Pre-Replacement Scheduling and Assessment

1. Scheduling
   • The homeowner schedules an assessment with the contractor and city by calling (331) 240-2574 or emailing LSLR@swallowconstruction.net.
2. Property Assessment

• Appointment will include property owner, contractor, city (or city engineer)
• The line material is confirmed.
• Any challenges, including objects, finishes, or water heaters blocking piping, are identified, and discussed. The contractor and city will explain how the work will proceed and impact to owner.
• Private property agreements will need to be signed, for any private property work
• The replacement is scheduled is discussed.

Step 2: Doing the Work

• If private service line including work in the building is occurring. Someone above the age of 18 will need to be home. The property will be faced with minor inconvenience during excavation and basement work as landscape is disrupted. Water is temporarily disconnected during construction.
• Depending on the restoration needed in the home, additional appointments and coordination may be required.
• The city will provide a Brita filter and replacement filters for two months

Step 3: Completion

• Final restoration outside of the building may lag for a month so the contractor can coordinate several landscaping, concrete and asphalt work.

Property owner’s options:

1. As part of the initial scheduling and assessment the city will be requesting permission to complete all work on private property. This includes both parties signing an access agreement(PDF, 186KB). If the property owner provides permission, the city will coordinate and complete the work from the property line to the inside of the building.
2. The property owner may opt of the service line replacement and acknowledge increased exposure risk of lead by signing the Illinois Department of Public Health Waiver(PDF, 327KB). The City will be replacing the water service to the property line (curb box).

Project Timing:

Due to the scope, complexity, and nature of this work, as well as the unpredictability of weather, some delays and disruptions may occur. There may be times when no work occurs on your street. We ask for your understanding during these times; work for this year is anticipated to be finished by November 30th. All work is weather dependent; see attached map(PDF, 4MB) for project locations.        

Contractor and Engineer Inspector:

The contract for this work has been awarded to Swallow Construction of West Chicago, IL. The city Engineering Inspector is Fehr Graham Inc.; they will be the on-site engineer performing construction inspections and acting as the field liaison to residents and property owners. Any questions, scheduling or concerns may be directed to (331) 240-2574 or emailing LSLR@swallowconstruction.net.

Public Informational Meeting:

The city will be hosting a public informational meeting on June 17^th from 5pm to 7pm. This meeting will be at the St Charles Police Department located at 1515 W. Main St. Please feel free to stop by any time during this period to ask additional questions. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

2026_Lead-Service-Line-Replacement-Program-Underway_FAQ.pdf(PDF, 249KB)

City Contact Information:

The city appreciates your continued cooperation and patience during this large-scale project. If you have any questions or concerns outside of scheduling, please feel free to contact Public Works at (630) 377-4405 or via email LSLR@stcharlesil.gov. Thank you for your help and understanding throughout this construction project. We know you will be better served by these improvements and look forward to serving you in the future.