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Highland Park outlines plan to replace roughly 3,500 lead service lines; residents urged to respond to free replacements
Summary
City officials said the current project includes about 1,000 replacements and that roughly 750 lines have been replaced since 2018; residents who do not respond after outreach may later face an estimated $10,000 private replacement cost. Officials emphasized a one-year warranty, required 45-day notices and steps for restoration and accessibility.
Highland Park water officials used a community town hall to walk residents through the city's lead service line replacement program, describing scope, deadlines, protections and how homeowners can participate. Damon Garrett, president of Metro Consulting Associates and Highland Park's water director, said the city has identified about 3,500 service lines, has replaced roughly 750 since 2018 and that the project under construction includes roughly 1,000 lines that will significantly raise the annual replacement rate.
Elin Betanzo, president of Safe Water Engineering, summarized the health stakes and tools available to residents: "Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can cause learning and behavior problems in children," she said, and directed people to a publicly posted inventory map showing which parcels are suspected to have lead service lines. Betanzo said slides and the recorded meeting will be posted to the water-department website and YouTube channel.
Kenneth Miller, operations manager for the Highland Park water department, outlined the replacement process and resident responsibilities.…
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