• Policy Category: Drinking Water
• State: Illinois
• Date Implemented: 1/17/2017

1/17/2017

This bill established a timeline and requirements for testing of lead in schools, the development of a comprehensive lead service line inventory by community water systems, and notification of the presence of lead to affected customers.  

 “The corporate authorities of any municipality that operates a waterworks system and that incurs reasonable costs to comply with Section 35.5 of the Illinois Plumbing License Law shall have the authority, by ordinance, to collect a fair and reasonable fee from users of the system in order to recover those reasonable costs. Fees collected pursuant to this Section shall be used exclusively for the purpose of complying with Section 35.5 of the Illinois Plumbing License Law.” 

Section 35.5: Lead in drinking water prevention 

“The purpose of this Section is to require (i) school districts or chief school administrators, or the designees of the school districts or chief school administrators, to test lead with the goal of providing school building occupants with an adequate supply of safe, potable water; and (ii) school districts or chief school administrators, or the designees of the school districts or chief school administrators, to notify the parents and legal guardians of enrolled students of the sampling results from their respective school buildings.” 

“If any of the samples taken in the school exceed 5 parts per billion, the school district or chief school administrator… shall promptly provide an individual notification of the sampling results, via written or electronic communication, to the parents or legal guardians of all enrolled students and include the following information: the corresponding sampling location within the school building and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website for information about lead in drinking water. If any of the samples taken at the school are at or below 5 parts per billion, notification may be made as provided in this paragraph or by posting on the school’s website.” 

Section 17.11: Lead Service Line Inventory

This section established that owners and operators of community water systems are required to “create a comprehensive lead service line inventory; and (ii) provide notice to occupants of potentially affected residences of construction or repair work on water mains, lead service lines, or water meters.” 

The inventory must identify: 

• Total number of service lines within or connected to the distribution system, including privately owned service lines; 
• Number of all known LSLs within or connected to the distribution system, including privately owned LSLs; and 
• Number of LSLs that were added to the inventory after the previous year’s submission. 

• Action Agency(ies): Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, school districts, community water systems
• Read the full policy language