Northlake, IL
Lead water pipe replacement in Northlake
City pays for the full replacement including the privately owned portion. City lead-service-line page (now offline; wording preserved in search-index text of northlakecity.com/lead-water-service-line): "The law provides that the City may charge the property owner for the cost of replacement, however, the City of Northlake's position is that even though the water service line belongs to the property owner, the City will replace and pay for the new copper line." Mayor in the city's 2026 infrastructure article (live, verified): "We will continue to replace lead water services this year at no cost to the resident. Our goal is 200 replacements for 2026." City newsletters confirm the City itself funded prior rounds (81 replacements in 2024 at approximately $600,000). No income limits, caps, or water-main-project-only conditions appear in any source.
Northlake's program at a glance
Who supplies the water
Northlake operates its own municipal water system (Public Works Department). Per the city's Dec 2024-Jan 2025 newsletter, a new interconnection with the Village of Franklin Park's water system ensures "the City has two sources of water through Melrose Park and Franklin Park" (Lake Michigan water); a city news article titled "Chicago Unilaterally Raises Water Rates" indicates Chicago is the upstream supplier.
Program
Not formally named; the city's public-facing site is the "City of Northlake Lead Safe Community" hub (lead-norlkpw.hub.arcgis.com), described as "an ArcGIS Hub site used to communicate our lead service line replacement program"
What the homeowner pays
$0 — "at no cost to the resident" per the city's 2026 infrastructure news article; the city replaces and pays for the new copper line even though the service line belongs to the property owner
How to check your line
The City of Northlake Lead Safe Community hub (lead-norlkpw.hub.arcgis.com) has a "Lead Service Line Map" (searchable inventory) and a "Water Service Line Material Survey" (Survey123 form) residents fill out about their home's service line material. The city's older lead page also provided a self-inspection brochure/form (scratch the pipe with a screwdriver/sandpaper to identify material).
How to get into the program
No published application form. The program is city-driven: replacements are done via the city's inventory and water main replacement projects. Contact: City of Northlake Public Works Department, 100 W. Palmer, Northlake, IL 60164, phone 708-562-0940 (contact listed on the Lead Safe Community hub).
Worth knowing
Scale and pace per official city sources: ~20% of residential water services are lead; city estimated ~3,000 service lines with potentially ~600 lead lines at $6-8 million total. Replaced 81 lead services in 2024 (~$600,000); goal 100 in 2025 and 200 in 2026. Since 2021, lead services are replaced whenever encountered during water main replacement projects (e.g., 11 lead services replaced with the 100 block of N. Roy Avenue main in 2025). City states all lead/galvanized lines must be replaced by 2042 under Public Act 102-0613 (IL Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act) and that it is on track to finish well ahead of the deadline (earlier city page cited ~2035 if pace maintained); city says it will pursue grant funding to accelerate. Caveat: the city's dedicated page northlakecity.com/lead-water-service-line/ currently returns 404 after a site redesign — its quoted statements come from search-engine indexed text of that official URL; current live official info is on the public-works/about page, the Lead Safe Community ArcGIS hub, city news articles, and city newsletters. A "2024 Lead Service Line Inventory and Replacement Plan" PDF existed on the old site but the URL is now dead.
Sources (Northlake official pages , checked Jul 2026): lead-norlkpw.hub.arcgis.com, northlakecity.com, northlakecity.com, northlakecity.com, northlakecity.com — program terms change; always confirm current details with the municipality.
The Illinois picture
Illinois' Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act requires every community water supply to inventory its service lines and replace lead ones on a state-mandated schedule. Two practical consequences for homeowners: your municipality can tell you what your line is made of, and full replacement — not partial — is the standard when work happens. Many suburbs coordinate replacements with water-main projects, which is often when the cost-sharing is most generous.
Where we come in
Remodels are where lead lines get discovered — kitchen and bath projects expose the plumbing, and permit inspections check service-line material against the municipal inventory. When that happens on a GS project in Northlake, we flag it early, point you at the program above before anyone spends your money, run the replacement through our Illinois-licensed plumbing and excavation partners, and restore everything the dig touched.
GS Construction & Remodeling is a licensed general contractor, not a municipal agency. Program details above summarize official municipal sources and change over time — confirm current terms with Northlake before making decisions based on them.
Lead pipes in Northlake — common questions
- Who pays for lead pipe replacement in Northlake?
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City pays for the full replacement including the privately owned portion. City lead-service-line page (now offline; wording preserved in search-index text of northlakecity.com/lead-water-service-line): "The law provides that the City may charge the property owner for the cost of replacement, however, the City of Northlake's position is that even though the water service line belongs to the property owner, the City will replace and pay for the new copper line." Mayor in the city's 2026 infrastructure article (live, verified): "We will continue to replace lead water services this year at no cost to the resident. Our goal is 200 replacements for 2026." City newsletters confirm the City itself funded prior rounds (81 replacements in 2024 at approximately $600,000). No income limits, caps, or water-main-project-only conditions appear in any source. Program terms change — confirm current details with the municipality before planning around them.
- How do I find out if my Northlake home has a lead water line?
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The City of Northlake Lead Safe Community hub (lead-norlkpw.hub.arcgis.com) has a "Lead Service Line Map" (searchable inventory) and a "Water Service Line Material Survey" (Survey123 form) residents fill out about their home's service line material. The city's older lead page also provided a self-inspection brochure/form (scratch the pipe with a screwdriver/sandpaper to identify material).
- Does GS Construction replace lead service lines?
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Service-line replacement itself is licensed plumbing and excavation work — on GS projects it runs through our Illinois-licensed plumbing and excavation partners, and we handle what comes after: restoring the yard, landscaping edges, and any interior finishes the work touched. If a remodel uncovers a lead line, we flag it and point you at the municipal program before anyone spends your money.
- Why do lead lines come up during remodels?
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Kitchen and bathroom remodels expose the plumbing where it enters the home, and permit inspections increasingly check service-line material against the municipal inventory Illinois law requires. Finding out mid-project is normal — knowing your village's program before demo day is better.
Remodeling in Northlake?
We check service-line implications as part of scoping kitchen, bath, and whole-home remodels — free in-home estimate, itemized scope.