River Grove, IL
Lead water pipe replacement in River Grove
$0 for homes within the Village's 2025 Water Main Improvements project area (River Rd from Kennedy Ave to Belmont Ave, Belmont Ave from Elm St to River Rd, and Elm St from Walnut Ave to Belmont Ave): the official September 12, 2025 construction notice states existing lead water service pipes "will be replaced from the water main to the water meter located inside of your home as part of the Village's Lead Water Service Replacement Program, at no cost to you," and Brita filters are available for pickup at no cost for the recommended 6 months of post-replacement filter use. Outside such project areas, the private portion (past the curb box) is the property owner's expense; the Village LSL page cites replacement costs of "$6,000 to $16,000" per line and says the Village "intends to apply for significant state and/or federal funding to offset the cost of private lead service line replacement" (an intention, not a commitment). The Village also charges a water-rate component of $2.70 per 1,000 gallons toward the program, versus a $6.93 per 1,000 gallons rate the page says full replacement cost would require. No income limits or caps are stated on either page.
River Grove's program at a glance
Who supplies the water
Village of River Grove operates its own municipal water system (River Grove Public Works / Water Department); the official page states "The Village of River Grove receives drinking water from Lake Michigan." The wholesale supplier of the Lake Michigan water is not published on the pages read.
Program
Lead Service Line Replacement Program (also referred to in construction notices as the "Village's Lead Water Service Replacement Program")
What the homeowner pays
$0 for homes within a Village water-main improvement project area (full replacement main-to-meter "at no cost to you", plus free Brita filters for 6 months post-replacement). Outside such projects, the private portion is the owner's expense; the LSL page cites replacement costs of "$6,000 to $16,000" per line. The Village also adopted a water-rate component ($2.70 per 1,000 gallons, vs. $6.93 full-cost rate) to help fund the program.
How to check your line
The Village publishes a Water Service Line Material Inventory (searchable by address) linked from the Lead Service Line Replacement page (latest: "RiverGrove IL0312640 IEPA 2026 Final Material Inventory" PDF at rivergroveil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3495). The page also provides pipe self-identification instructions. Notices were mailed in January 2023 to owners/residents of buildings identified with lead service.
How to get into the program
No application form published. Replacement is project-driven: during water-main projects, the contractor (2025: Acqua Contractors Corp.) contacts affected homes to schedule an interior inspection and then installation. General program questions: Water Department 708-453-8000 (press 4); Public Works Director Brock Leder 708-452-7055, [email protected].
Worth knowing
River Grove has 1,881 lead/galvanized service lines with an estimated $28.3 million total replacement cost; state/federal mandate requires all replaced by 2044. Replacement is being scheduled with annual water-main improvement projects (2025 project covered River Rd from Kennedy to Belmont, Belmont Ave from Elm to River Rd, and Elm St from Walnut to Belmont; completed ~Dec 2025). The village page also says that if the Village later replaces the b-box-to-main portion, it "is willing to coordinate with homeowners to replace the remaining portion." Free Brita filters for 6 months after replacement are available at Public Works, 2101 West St. No waitlist or standalone (non-project) village-funded private replacement is published.
Sources (River Grove official pages , checked Jul 2026): www.rivergroveil.gov, www.rivergroveil.gov — 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 River Grove, 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 River Grove before making decisions based on them.
Lead pipes in River Grove — common questions
- Who pays for lead pipe replacement in River Grove?
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$0 for homes within the Village's 2025 Water Main Improvements project area (River Rd from Kennedy Ave to Belmont Ave, Belmont Ave from Elm St to River Rd, and Elm St from Walnut Ave to Belmont Ave): the official September 12, 2025 construction notice states existing lead water service pipes "will be replaced from the water main to the water meter located inside of your home as part of the Village's Lead Water Service Replacement Program, at no cost to you," and Brita filters are available for pickup at no cost for the recommended 6 months of post-replacement filter use. Outside such project areas, the private portion (past the curb box) is the property owner's expense; the Village LSL page cites replacement costs of "$6,000 to $16,000" per line and says the Village "intends to apply for significant state and/or federal funding to offset the cost of private lead service line replacement" (an intention, not a commitment). The Village also charges a water-rate component of $2.70 per 1,000 gallons toward the program, versus a $6.93 per 1,000 gallons rate the page says full replacement cost would require. No income limits or caps are stated on either page. Program terms change — confirm current details with the municipality before planning around them.
- How do I find out if my River Grove home has a lead water line?
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The Village publishes a Water Service Line Material Inventory (searchable by address) linked from the Lead Service Line Replacement page (latest: "RiverGrove IL0312640 IEPA 2026 Final Material Inventory" PDF at rivergroveil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3495). The page also provides pipe self-identification instructions. Notices were mailed in January 2023 to owners/residents of buildings identified with lead service.
- 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 River Grove?
We check service-line implications as part of scoping kitchen, bath, and whole-home remodels — free in-home estimate, itemized scope.