Lead Service Line Replacement Ordinance

The ordinance requires replacement of lead service lines when:

• A residential property is demolished and rebuilt.
• Renovations equal or exceed 50% of the building’s assessed value.
• Habitable space is increased (e.g., bedrooms, bathrooms).
• Interior water supply lines are changed beyond minor repairs.
• A residential building has been vacant for three or more months.

Initially, real estate agents and out-of-state buyers pushed back strongly. Within two months, resistance subsided, and realtors began advertising homes with copper service lines as a selling point for prospective buyers. Importantly, Cicero did not observe a decline in building permits or property transfers as a result of the ordinance.

To accelerate progress, Cicero is now supplementing private efforts by directly replacing lead service lines through grants awarded by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Public engagement prior to adoption was limited. Following adoption, the Town primarily relied on word-of-mouth promotion and shared ordinance details directly with realtors visiting Town Hall. Town leaders later reflected that greater public outreach – such as public discussions and information about the reason behind the ordinance and the positive benefits it would generate – could have reduced initial resistance.