Please read all of the instructions included on this page before testing. This only applies to homes or buildings that were built before 1986.

Helpful Hints regarding the completion of the questionnaire:

• Test your service line for lead pipes if your home or building was built before 1986. When in doubt, fill the questionnaire out. Even if you know that you do not have lead pipes and your dwelling was built before 1986, please complete the questionnaire. If you do not complete the questionnaire and report what material your pipes are made of, Village staff will still have to obtain this information from you.

• QR Code - Opening the questionnaire using the QR Code below with a mobile phone or iPad will make it easier to upload any photos. 

• Photo Upload - The survey does require you to upload a photo(s) of your service line for Village staff to review. Taking a photo with your mobile phone or iPad is a convenient way to upload your photos into the questionnaire. Again, scan the QR Code above with your device. If you do not have a means to take a photo, please call Brian Wojciechowski at 630-754-4147 or email him at bwojciechowksi@lemont.il.us.
  
  
• Water Bill Account Number - The questionnaire will ask you for the account number on your water bill. Please have that ready.
  
  
• Contact Information - Your contact information is required on the questionnaire in the event our staff needs to contact you.
  
  
• Year Your Home Was Built - If you do not know the exact date/year your house was built, please enter your best estimate. When in doubt, fill the questionnaire out.
  
  
• Service Line Material - If you are unable to identify the material of your service line, select, "Unknown" and an employee will contact you.

A Public Informational Lead Service Line Replacement Meeting was held on Thursday, August 10, 2023. Please view this meeting to answer any questions - YouTube.

To identify the material of your water service line, please follow the step-by-step instructions below or in the print-friendly Pipe Identification Instruction Brochure.

Alternatively, you can contact a licensed plumber to identify the material for you. Once you know the material of your water service line, the next step is to fill out the questionnaire in the next section to report your results to the Village of Lemont.  

Please follow the instructions below to determine the material of your pipes.

Materials Needed for Testing: Strong Magnet, a Coin, and Flathead Screwdriver. 

1. Find the water service line entering the home or building.
If you have a basement, the water service line will typically enter the building through the basement floor or the basement side wall. If you do not have a basement, the service line should enter the building through the floor on the main level. You will see a shut-off valve and water meter installed on this pipe. The testing location on the pipe will be between the entry point into the building and the shut-off valve, as show below.

2. Scratch Test
Scratch the outer surface of the pipe with a coin or flathead screwdriver. Be very careful not to puncture a hole in the pipe and do not use sharp objects for this test.

3. Magnet Test
Place a magnet on the pipe to check if it sticks to the pipe.

4. Tapping Test
Tap the pipe with a coin and listen to the sound it makes.

5. Compare the results of your test with the guidelines shown below:

		Your Service Line is LEAD if: Scratch Test: The scratched area is shiny and silver. Magnet Test: The magnet does not stick. Tapping Test: You hear a dull noise while taping the coin.
		Your Service Line is copper if: Scratch Test: The scratched area is copper in color like a penny, Magnet Test: The magnet does not stick. Tapping Test: You hear a metallic ringing noise while tapping the coin.
		Your Service Line is Galvanized Steel if: Scratch Test: The scratched area remains a dull gray. Magnet Test: The magnet sticks. Tapping Test: You hear a metallic ringing noise while tapping the coin.

  6. Submit your results to the Questionnaire in the next section.

Filling out the questionnaire is required if your house or building was built before 1986. If you are not sure when your house was built, we strongly encourage you to fill out the questionnaire to verify the material of your water service line. 

Even if you know that you do not have lead pipes in your home, please complete the questionnaire indicating what material your pipes are made from. This will provide the Village with an accurate count of the number of homes that need lead pipes replaced. The Village of Lemont is responsible for the cost of this replacement. Dwellings built before 1986 that do not report this information will require further inquiry by Village staff. 

Please also note that plumbing products sold between 1986 and 2014 were still allowed to contain up to 8% of lead content by weight. Therefore, there is still potential for your plumbing to have lead if your house was constructed between 1986 and 2014.

The questionnaire will require you to upload a photo(s) of the service line. Use a mobile device or iPad and scan the QR code below to open the survey. Use that same device to take your photos and upload them to the questionnaire. 

Village of Lemont Lead Service Line Questionnaire - link to website through HR Green.

QR Code to Questionnaire:

  

If you have any further questions, please contact the following Public Works Department employees:

• Brian Wojciechowski
  Direct Line 630-754-4147 - Email bwojciechowski@lemont.il.us
• Jerry Turrise
  Direct Line 630-754-4148 - Email gturrise@lemont.il.us

To ensure safe drinking water in the United States, federal regulations have guided intervention and regulatory efforts to successfully reduce exposure to water contaminants.

Each year the Village of Lemont provides water customers with an Annual Water Quality Report. Our 2022 Water Quality Report has met all the USEPA drinking water requirements and standards. This report provides details about the source and quality of the drinking water delivered to our community in 2022. Visit our webpage to view the report at www.lemont.il.us/2022WaterReport.

Why are Lead Service Lines a Public Health Concern?
Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful to human health when inhaled or swallowed. If your home has a lead service line, the lead can leach into your drinking water when the lead pipes experience corrosion. Corrosion is caused by a chemical reaction between the water and your plumbing. There are several factors that can impact the amount of lead entering your water from your plumbing, including water temperature, pipe condition, the water chemistry (such as acidity or alkalinity), and more. 

Lead can accumulate in our bodies over time and is stored within the bones. Lead exposure can result in several adverse health effects. Children are especially at risk because even low levels of lead in the bloodstream can cause damage to the nervous system, learning disabilities, impaired hearing, slowed growth, behavioral issues, and anemia. Pregnant women are also at high risk, as lead exposure can cause premature birth and reduced fetus growth. Lead exposure in adults can cause increases in blood pressure, reproductive issues, and kidney issues. 

What Can I Do to Reduce My Exposure to Lead? 
The best way to reduce your exposure to lead is by identifying the plumbing fixtures in your home which contain lead and having them replaced. This includes the faucets, fittings, pipes, and valves inside your house as well as the water service line that enters your house. Please note that plumbing products sold before 2014 were allowed to contain up to 8% of lead content by weight. On January 4, 2014, a new law went into effect that required plumbing products to contain very low levels of lead (no more than 0.25% by weight). Therefore, there is still potential for your plumbing to have lead if your house was constructed between 1986 and 2014.

The Lead Service Line Notification Act now requires public water suppliers in Illinois, including the Village of Lemont, to replace all lead service lines within the community from the watermain to the water meter in the home. The Village of Lemont will be required to replace between 6% to 7% of the lead service lines annually. The Village is in process of developing a lead service line replacement program for the community, but this effort will require resident cooperation so the Village can compile a complete inventory of all homes with confirmed lead service lines. This is why completing the lead service line questionnaire is so important. 

If you have lead plumbing or a lead service line in your house, but cannot have it replaced at this time, below are some steps you can take to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. 

• Run your water to flush out the lead before drinking. If you haven’t used water in your house for several hours, run your water to flush out the pipes before using the water for drinking or cooking.   

• Always use cold water for drinking, cooking, and baby formula. Never use water from the hot water tap for cooking or drinking. Water from the hot water tap has higher lead levels than water from the cold tap. If you need hot water, take water from the cold tap, and heat it on your stove. Remember that boiling water does not remove lead. 

• Remove and clean your faucet aerator regularly. The faucet aerator is the screen located on your faucet where the water comes out. Over time, lead particles and other debris can collect on the aerator and can cause lead to leach into your water. Remove and clean your aerator regularly. While cleaning your aerator, run the water through your faucet to flush out the debris. Once clean, reinstall the aerator. 

• Consider using a water filter certified to remove lead. The water filter should be certified under NSF/ANSI Standard 53 to remove lead. Follow the filter instructions for proper filter installation and for filter cartridge replacement requirements. Avoid using cartridges that have expired. For more information on filters certified to reduce lead see link below: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-12/documents/consumer_tool_for_identifying_drinking_water_filters_certified_to_reduce_lead.pdf .

• Use an alternative water source for drinking and cooking. 

Questions

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Public Works Department employees:

• Brian Wojciechowski - Direct Line 630-754-4147 - Email bwojciechowski@lemont.il.us
• Jerry Turrise - Direct Line 630-754-4148 - Email gturrise@lemont.il.us

Additional Resources to Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about lead, lead service lines, and/or Illinois laws for lead service lines, please see the links below for additional information.

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Basic information about lead in drinking water: 
  https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Infographic on lead in drinking water: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-08/documents/epa_lead_in_drinking_water_final_8.21.17.pdf

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: How to Identify Lead Free Certification Marks for Plumbing Products: https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P100LVYK.txt

• Illinois Department of Health: Lead Service Lines and Illinois Laws: https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/lead-in-water/lead-service-lines.html

• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency: Lead Service Line Inventory Information:
  https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/drinking-water/public-water-users/lead-service-line-information.html

• State of Illinois Lead Service Line Notification Act (Public Act 102-0613)
  https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/102/102-0613.htm