La Grange Homeowners To Pay Thousands For Water Lines

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange trustees agreed last week to require Brainard Avenue residents to pay a share of the costs of replacing their lead water lines.

Next year, the village plans to replace the water main for a mile of Brainard, a section that consists of 131 homes.

Sixty-seven of the homes have lead lines from the street to their homes.

Last week, the Village Board was asked whether that project should pay for the full cost of replacing a resident's lead service line – $12,000.

"It would set a precedent going forward that we would be paying for everyone's," Village President Mark Kuchler said. "We don't have a funding source to do that."

Alternatively, the village could pay for the portion from the main to the shutoff valve. The resident would pay for the portion from the valve to the home – $5,000.

Trustees favored having residents pay the $5,000 share. They noted the village didn't pay the full costs during previous projects, such as those on Blackstone and Ashland avenues.

"I think if we say now we're going to pay for the whole thing, we'll have that precedent and residents say, 'Wait, I just paid for mine two years ago and if I waited, I would have gotten it paid for,'" Trustee Lou Gale said.

A new state law requires water suppliers such as La Grange to replace lead lines starting in 2027.

Under the law, the village would need to replace 228 lead service lines each year starting in 2027, a process that would last until 2044.

The total cost in La Grange is projected at nearly $33 million.

"A lot of money. I'll just leave it at that," Trustee Michael Kotynek said.

"Yes, it is," Kuchler said.

Trustee Beth Augustine said $5,000 is a far better cost than $12,000, which is what residents would end up paying later.

"At some point, we all need to start saving a few extra nickels," she said. "If you have lead or partial lead, then it's time to start saving for that."

Under the new law, residents who refuse to change over to lead service lines must sign a waiver, which would be submitted to the state Department of Public Health.

Those with waivers may have difficulty selling their homes because of the existence of lead service lines, officials said.

The village maintains an interactive map of where lead service lines are.