The History of Lead Water Pipes in Wilmette and the North Shore
Until the federal Safe Drinking Water Act amendments banned lead plumbing in 1986, lead was the industry standard material for residential water service lines throughout Illinois. Its pliability made it easy for early twentieth-century plumbers to bend around underground obstructions between the street main and the home.
Today, the Village of Wilmette estimates that roughly 2,200 homes—particularly those constructed prior to 1950—continue to receive drinking water through lead service pipes.
Understanding the Split: Public Side vs. Private Side Ownership
The underground water service line is legally divided into two distinct sections: • The Public Side: Extends from the municipal water main under the street to the buffalo box (B-box) shut-off valve, typically located in the parkway grass. • The Private Side: Extends from the buffalo box across your private lawn and through the foundation wall to your water meter.
Under the Illinois Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act, the Village of Wilmette is executing a multi-year capital replacement plan to eliminate all public-side lead lines by 2044. However, replacing the private portion running into your basement remains the homeowner's responsibility.
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How to Identify if Your Water Service Line Is Lead
You can perform a simple scratch test in your basement where the main water pipe enters through the floor or foundation wall before the water meter: 1. Lead: A dull, soft gray metal. When scratched gently with a coin or key, it reveals a bright, shiny silver surface. A refrigerator magnet will NOT stick to lead. 2. Galvanized Steel: Dull gray/silver, very hard to scratch, and a magnet will stick firmly to it. 3. Copper: The unmistakable color of a shiny or tarnished penny, and non-magnetic.
Trenchless Replacement: How Linden Plumbers Upgrades Your Line
Replacing an old lead service line does not require digging a massive trench across your front lawn. Linden Plumbers utilizes pneumatic pipe-pulling and directional boring technology.
We attach a heavy-duty cable to your existing lead pipe at the buffalo box, split or pull it out while simultaneously drawing a seamless 1-inch Type K continuous copper line in its place directly into your basement. The entire process takes less than a day, preserves your landscaping, and permanently eliminates lead exposure.
The Illinois Lead Service Line Replacement Act and Trenchless Mole Pulling
Under the Illinois Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (Public Act 102-0613), communities across Illinois are inventorying and methodically replacing all lead service lines. In Wilmette, approximately 2,200 private lead services remain in operation between the village b-box in the parkway and interior residential water meters.
Modern replacement uses pneumatic underground piercing tools (pneumatic moles) or cable-pull machines. Technicians feed a heavy steel cable through the old lead pipe, attach a new 1-inch seamless Type K copper water line, and pull the new pipe directly through the old tunnel. This trenchless methodology preserves parkway trees, brick pavers, and established landscaping while bringing pure, lead-free municipal water into the home.
Water Quality Testing and Post-Replacement Flushing Protocols
Following the physical replacement of a private lead service line with continuous 1-inch Type K copper, homeowners must observe strict water testing and system flushing protocols to ensure internal household water quality. During the excavation and pneumatic pulling process, physical vibrations can dislodge microscopic lead particulate and mineral scale from the internal walls of older household copper or galvanized piping downstream of the water meter.
To safeguard your drinking water, our technicians initiate a vigorous high-velocity purge through all interior cold-water fixtures, removing aerator screens and running water continuously for thirty minutes to flush out dislodged sediment. We recommend that Wilmette homeowners utilize NSF 53-certified lead reduction water filters on kitchen drinking taps for several weeks post-replacement and conduct sequential 1-liter laboratory tap water tests to confirm lead levels remain far below EPA action thresholds.