Removing brain-damaging lead from day cares is aim of new Cook County initiative
Though efforts to replace potentially dangerous lead service lines across Illinois have been slow and costly, Cook County government Tuesday announced a new program to replace at least 550 such lines at suburban home-based day cares over the next two years.
Under the new LeadCare Cook County, providers in Calumet City, Cicero, Hazel Crest, Harvey and Maywood can apply now to have lead service lines — the pipes that deliver water from the main to the building — removed and replaced.
The goal is to reach “all interested communities in suburban Cook County by 2025,” County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said at a Monday news conference rolling out the program. The $15 million pilot is funded by a portion of the $1 billion the county received in federal pandemic relief through the American Rescue Plan.
The county has hundreds of millions of federal relief money left to spend, according to the county’s latest budget forecast.
The pilot communities were chosen for the prevalence of lead service lines and home-based child care centers, said Dominic Tocci of the county’s Bureau of Economic Development. The service costs roughly $10,000, but that depends on the distance from the home to the water main. Actual replacement takes about a week, assuming permits are processed quickly.
Preckwinkle said it’s “no secret that America has aging infrastructure, from our roads and bridges to pipes that lead to our homes. Significant and meaningful investments throughout the entire country are needed to close the glaring infrastructure investment gap. I believe clean, lead-free drinking water is a human right, just like housing or health care.”
A Tribune investigation this spring revealed day cares have struggled to address lead discovered through testing mandated by a 2017 state law. The report also looked into the amount of lead found in schools.
A 2018 Tribune analysis also found that lead in tap water is a danger throughout Illinois. According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, there were at least 667,275 lead service lines reported to the agency in 2020, but even more — about 820,000 — were made of an “unknown” material. A 2021 state law requires small Illinois water utilities (serving water to 3,300 or fewer people) to replace all lead service lines within 15 years. Larger systems get up to 34 years to complete the work, and Chicago gets up to 50 years.
“We all know the potential risk associated with lead exposure, especially for young children with vulnerable, developing bodies,” said county Commissioner Monica Gordon. Ingesting even small amounts of lead can permanently damage developing brains and contribute to other ailments, such as heart disease and kidney failure, later in life. “We are proactively addressing this issue head-on. … While today’s launch focuses on child care providers, it is essential to acknowledge that this is just one piece of a giant puzzle.”
Anne Evens, CEO of Elevate Energy, a Chicago nonprofit partnering with the county to carry out the program, said while lead exposure affects all ages, it is “especially damaging to infants and children under the age of 6.”
Hazel Crest Mayor Vernard Alsberry Jr. said the program will help the village “accelerate our goal of declaring a lead-free community by helping over 26 home-based child care facilities to identify removal of lead service lines.” That’s a fraction of the estimated 650 lead service lines he estimated are in the community.
Day cares must be licensed with the state’s Department of Children and Family Services and business owners can apply whether they own or are renting the home at LeadCareCookCounty.org or by calling 773-389-5657.
