Biden Pushes Chicago Mayor to Accelerate Lead Pipe Removal, Sparking Funding Concerns

Mayor Johnson faces pressure to meet aggressive 20-year deadline amidst $14B cost

President Biden makes remarks about replacing lead pipesPhoto byScreen Capture/Youtube Video [Creator]

CHICAGO, IL - In a bold move aimed at tackling Chicago's long-standing public health crisis, President Joe Biden has significantly reduced the timeline for the city to replace its aging and toxic lead water pipes. Originally expected to take 40 years, the deadline has now been slashed in half, requiring Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration to complete the project within 20 years. The cost of this massive undertaking is estimated at more than $14 billion, leaving city officials scrambling to find sufficient funding.

Chicago recently received $336 million in federal aid to help address the issue, a step toward removing the city’s more than 400,000 lead service lines, NBC Chicago reported. However, that amount will only cover a fraction of the total cost, and officials acknowledge it’s nowhere near enough to meet Biden’s new accelerated timeline.

Alderman Anthony Beale (9th) voiced frustration over the tightened schedule, calling it an “unrealistic” demand for the city to meet without additional financial resources. “It’s like another unfunded mandate,” Beale said, emphasizing the near-impossible challenge of complying with the mandate given Chicago’s already strained budget.

The presence of lead service lines in Chicago has been a known public health issue for years, with lead exposure posing serious risks, particularly for children. The city’s lead pipes, which were required in all new construction until a federal ban in 1986, remain a significant concern, especially in low-income neighborhoods where these hazardous pipes are still prevalent.

Chicago's situation is part of a broader national effort to remove toxic lead pipes, but the scale of the problem in Chicago is unmatched. The city has more lead service lines than any other U.S. city, largely due to outdated building regulations that mandated their use for decades.

Mayor Johnson is already grappling with a $223 million budget shortfall for this year, as well as a nearly $1 billion deficit projected for next year. Adding the enormous cost of the lead pipe replacement project to the city’s financial burdens has only heightened concerns over how Chicago will manage to meet the new federal requirements.

Alderman Gilbert Villegas (36th) praised President Biden’s push to address the issue more aggressively, but he echoed the need for further federal assistance. “We can’t afford it on our own,” Villegas stated, highlighting the city’s reliance on external funding to tackle this enormous infrastructure project.

While Chicago has received some federal support, including a loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to replace about 30,000 pipes, this represents only a small portion of what is required. Villegas expressed frustration over the city’s slow response to the crisis, stating, “It’s bananas that there isn’t this sense of urgency.”

Erik Olson, a senior strategist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, stressed the importance of political will in resolving Chicago’s lead pipe crisis. He emphasized the need for the city to aggressively pursue federal funding, which is distributed through Governor JB Pritzker’s administration. “Honestly, they just have to figure out a way to pay for this,” Olson said, noting that other major cities are finding ways to fund similar projects.

However, the cost breakdown for Chicago is staggering. Starting in 2027, the city would need more than $700 million annually to stay on track for the 20-year deadline.

John Roberson, Chief Operating Officer for the city, acknowledged the enormity of the task ahead. “While we have received some funding, you’re talking about a program that’s gonna be in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” Roberson told the Chicago Sun-Times. The city has budgeted $169 million this year to replace roughly 5,100 lead service lines, but that leaves a long road ahead to reach the 400,000 pipes that need replacement.

Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water Management Randy Conner stressed the city’s commitment to finding additional resources for the project, saying, “We will continue to work with our partners in turning over every rock to identify resources for this work.”

Despite the daunting costs, Alderman Villegas made it clear that raising water rates to fund the project is off the table. “Given the cost of water right now and the taxes that are on it, I would say that’s probably a non-starter,” he said.