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Council committee approves contract to inspect 500 unknown water service lines under Illinois EPA inventory
Summary
The Public Works Committee recommended a $62,850 agreement with WHKS to conduct physical inspections of about 500 water service lines classified as ‘unknown’ in the city's Illinois EPA–mandated inventory; staff said inspections may require homeowner access or potholing.
The Public Works Committee voted to forward a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign an agreement with consulting firm WHKS to perform inspections of water service lines the city classed as “unknown” as part of an Illinois EPA–mandated inventory.
Public Works staff explained the city completed its initial inventory using historic records and materials-age assumptions but still has about 500 service connections where the pipe material is unknown. The WHKS agreement, for $62,850, covers field inspections to determine whether those service lines contain lead, copper or other materials.
“We did complete the initial inventory. A lot of it was done utilizing historic records,” the presenting staff member said. “The next step really is what we see before you here is actually going and performing physical inspections and visually seeing these lines determine what the material is.”
Staff said they will first attempt to gain homeowner access to see where the service enters the building (crawlspaces or foundation walls). If access is not granted or the line remains obscured, potholing outside the meter pit may be required to visually determine the material. The city’s current reporting timeline aims to complete inspections before the next inventory due date in April; staff noted the city technically has up to five years to finalize a replacement plan but wants the inspections done sooner to close knowledge gaps.
A Ward 3 resident asked whether the city would examine only the meter pit or the line into the home; staff clarified that the inventory requires identifying the material on both the city side (main to meter) and the customer side (meter into the home).
Staff said that, to date, inspections completed elsewhere in the inventory have not found lead service lines and that many connections were copper or galvanized. The resolution will go to the full council for final approval at the next council meeting.
Less critical details: Work may require coordination with residents to schedule inspections; where exterior potholing is necessary the city will notify property owners.
