22-07-2025
East Dundee OKs spending $508,000 to remove lead water lines
East Dundee plans to spend more than a half million dollars this year removing lead service lines that bring water into village homes and businesses.
The $508,000 earmarked for the first year of the Lead Service Line Replacement project will pay for the removal of pipes leading to 36 of the 300 properties known to have lead service lines, said Phil Cotter, director of public works.
A service line is one that connects a home or business to the village's water main line below the street.
Communities throughout the country have been mandated to replace the lines by the state and federal Environmental Protection agencies by 2037. While the pipes are typically safe because calcification encases the lead, the substance can be released into the water when the pipes are disrupted, experts say.
Lead has not been detected in East Dundee's drinking water. However, the potential for water contamination is dangerous because of the physical harm it can cause if consumed. The greatest risk is to children because it can damage the brain and nervous system, leading to slow growth and development and learning and behavior problems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This week, the East Dundee Village Board voted to waive bidding requirements and award the service line removal contract to IHC Construction Cos. based on competitive bids obtained this year by West Dundee, Cotter said.
Typically the village would seek its own bids but since East Dundee is only doing 36 removals this year, it made sense to go with what West Dundee had already received, he said.
IHC Construction's unit price is within the average cost to replace lead service lines, which is between $12,000 and $15,000, Cotter said.
West Dundee is replacing 224 lead service lines. IHC is one of two companies that bid for its project and was the lowest bidder. IHC is an Elgin-based firm that has done the same work in Elgin, Cary, Glen Ellyn and Oak Park, Cotter said.
East Dundee has hired Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers to oversee the project.
Cotter said the village submitted its replacement project plans to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and plans to start work this year.
The work will be paid for with $500,000 earmarked in the village's water and sewer operating budget for 2025. East Dundee also increased its water rate by 10% and its sewer rate by 3% this year to pay for line removal work, he said.
They're hoping to secure state or federal funding or loans as the program continues, Cotter said.
This year's funding will cover line removal for:
IHC will do the work ahead of upcoming street improvement projects to be done in those areas, Cotter said.
