08/25/2025

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

CITY OF HIGHWOOD IL 0970550 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAD IN YOUR DRINKING WATER

Información importante sobre el plomo en su agua potable. Si no puede leer esto, es importante que alguien se lo traduzca para que pueda entenderlo.

The City of Highwood found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes/buildings. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read this information closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water. The source of the lead is likely lead service lines at homes attached to the city water mains. Lead is not present in the City of Highwood’s water source, which is Lake Michigan, nor is it in Highwood’s treated drinking water. Some homes and buildings have water service lines, solder or fixtures made with lead. Lead can enter the drinking water through the corrosion of these plumbing materials. 

The City of Highwood has found levels of lead in drinking water above the federal action level of 15 parts per billion. Nine (9) sites exceeded a lead concentration of 15 ppb, resulting in a 90th percentile value of 76.0 ppb and a lead action level exceedance for the June-September 2024 monitoring period.

Health Effects of Lead
Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones, which may affect brain development.

Sources of Lead
Lead is a common metal found in the environment. Drinking water is one possible source of lead exposure. Other main sources of lead exposure are lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust or soil, and some plumbing materials. Lead can also be found in certain types of pottery, pewter, brass fixtures, food, and cosmetics. Other sources include exposure in the workplace and exposure from certain hobbies (lead can be carried on clothing or shoes). Lead is found in some toys, some playground equipment, and some children’s metal jewelry. 

Brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as "lead-free,'' may contribute lead to drinking water. The law currently allows pipes, fittings, and fixtures with up to .25 percent weighted average of lead to be identified as "lead-free."

The City of Highwood’s Water Filtration Plant uses Lake Michigan as its sole water source. The City of Highwood does not have any lead in its source water or lead water mains in the street. Lead enters drinking water when the water makes contact with lead-based pipes, service lines, or plumbing fixtures for several hours. Homes built before 1988 are more likely to have lead pipes or lead solder. 

The EPA estimates that up to 20 percent of a person’s potential exposure to lead may come from drinking water. Infants who consume mostly formula mixed with lead-containing water can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water.

Don’t forget about other sources of lead such as lead paint, lead dust, and lead in soil. Wash your children’s hands and toys often as they can come into contact with dirt and dust containing lead.

Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead in Water

1. Run your water to flush out lead. Run water for 15-30 seconds to flush lead from interior plumbing [Run water for 5 minutes if you have a lead service line or any lead pipes in your home plumbing] or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking, if it hasn’t been used for several hours. 
2. Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Do not cook, or drink, water from the hot water tap, lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.
3. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
4. Look for alternative sources or treatment of water. You may want to consider purchasing bottled water or a water filter. Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead or contact NSF International at 800-NSF-8010 or www.nsf.org for information on performance standards for water filters. Be sure to maintain and replace a filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality. 
5. 5. Test your water for lead. Call us at 847.432.1924 to find out how to get your water tested for lead. The city does not provide lead testing outside of the sample sites designated for EPA compliance use. There are labs in the area that are certified to do lead in water testing? Residents interested in having their water tested for lead should contact Lake County Health Department’s Environmental Laboratory at 847.377.8020 to request a sampling kit and sampling instructions. Samples will need to be dropped off at the LCHD Lab in Libertyville. Residents will need to pay the LCHD at that time. Cost for lead testing is about $25 per sample.
6. Get your child’s blood tested. Contact your local health department or healthcare provider to find out how you can get your child tested for lead if you are concerned about exposure. 
7. Identify and replace lead service lines and plumbing fixtures containing lead. Brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free,” may contribute lead to drinking water. The law previously allowed end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets, with up to 8 percent lead to be labeled as “lead free.” As of January 4, 2014, end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets, fittings and valves, must meet the new “lead-free” definition of having no more than 0.25 percent lead on a weighted average. Visit the website at http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P100LVYK.txt learn more about lead-containing plumbing fixtures and how to identify lead-free certification marks on new fixtures.

What Happened?
The City of Highwood has been on a Triennial Lead and Copper (LCR) monitoring program for many years. Every three years the city has tested for lead and copper based on sites set up with the EPA based on service line material makeup. These sites were thought to have various attributes like lead service lines, galvanized service lines with lead goosenecks, and homes that had copper plumbing with lead solder, which was used in the past. The new EPA Lead and Copper rule revisions have been in progress for the last few years and have recently been finalized with the LCRI (Lead and Copper rule improvements).New qualifying sites were identified, and during the last monitoring testing for LCR, certain sites exceeded the Action level of 15ppb (parts per billion)for Lead. The City of Highwood’s 90^th percentile results were 76ppb (parts per billion). 

What is being done?
The City of Highwood has taken the following steps to address the lead action level exceedance:

• Contracted with a specialized engineering firm to design a corrosion control treatment process. This plan has been submitted to the Illinois EPA and, once approved, the City will have 24 months to implement the change. The treatment process involves the addition of a corrosion inhibitor to the water system, which is expected to significantly reduce lead levels in homes with lead service lines.
• Partnered with another engineering firm to develop a plan for replacing lead service lines (LSLs) and galvanized lines requiring replacement. This long-term plan ensures that service line replacement progresses in an organized and efficient manner.
• Continued coordination with the Illinois EPA to ensure water quality parameters remain in ranges that minimize the potential for lead leaching from plumbing materials.

These steps, combined with the upcoming corrosion control improvements, are expected to reduce lead levels in the distribution system and improve water quality for all residents.

The City of Highwood is collaborating with an engineering firm to explore possible process changes that would include the addition of corrosion control to our water filtration process. This process is used to reduce the possibility of lead leeching into the water. Process changes like these have historically been successful in reducing lead exposure from drinking water. The City will be working to arrive at an Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment (OCCT) recommendation and launch with EPA guidance. 

In addition to the process change, the city will be working with the ILEPA to ensure the water quality standards are within ranges that are not conducive to leaching lead from wetted surfaces.

If you are interested in finding out whether you have a lead service line at your home, you can watch the service line identification video on the city website  or go on the city’s interactive online dashboard to see if it indicates that your home have a lead service line If you believe this online data to be inaccurate, please contact the city so we can verify its accuracy. 

If you have a lead service line and would like to volunteer for the LCR testing program at no cost to you please contact the city 847- 432-1924 Ext. #1 and we will confirm your service line and go over testing procedures with you. 

For appointments and information regarding water service line testing, contact: Ted Monroy tmonroy@cityofhighwood.org 847-432-1924  ext. 1106. 

For More Information
Call us at 847.432.1924 or visit our website at www.cityofhighwood.com/357/Lead-Service-Lines-and-Lead-Testing

For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/lead or contact your health care provider.

Water Service Line Identification

Please view our Service line identification video at the link below or complete the following test.

Service Line identification Video

To find out if you have a lead, copper, or galvanized steel service on your property, you (or your landlord) can perform a Materials Verification Test on the water service line where it enters your home to determine the material of the water service line on your property. For property owners who are unsure of the material composition of the water line connecting your property to the water main, the following instructions will help identify key characteristics of both lead and copper water lines.

Instructions for identifying the material composition of your water service line:
Possible tools needed (some conclusions can be made by observation):

• a key or coin
• a refrigerator magnet

Locate the water service line coming into the property.  This is typically found in the basement or lowest level of the structure.  The pictures below may help to assist with locating the water line point of entry.

Identify a test area on the pipe between the point where it comes into the home and the inlet valve or water meter.  If the pipe is covered or wrapped, expose a small area of metal.

Use the edge of the key or coin to scratch through any corrosion that may have built up on the outside of the pipe.  Do not use a knife or other sharp instrument and take care not to puncture a hole in the pipe. 

Copper Water Service Line
If the scraped area is copper in color, like a penny, your service line is copper. A magnet will not stick to a copper service line. 

Lead Water Service Line
If the scraped area is copper shiny and silver, the service line is lead.  The refrigerator magnet will not stick to a lead pipe; however, it will stick to a galvanized connector. If the refrigerator magnet sticks to the connector, but not the pipe, the water service line is most likely lead. 

Galvanized Water Service Line
Depending on the age of the home, i.e. typically built before 1940, it is possible that a customer-side galvanized iron service line is or was once connected to a lead “gooseneck” section that completes its connection at the water main.  This situation would provide the potential for lead to accumulate within the galvanized iron service line portion.  Under the recently passed State Law, Public Act 102-0613, these service lines are to be treated as if they are made of lead.  In such instances, homeowners’ may want to test their water for lead and consider replacing the service line.

Lead testing in Drinking Water

EPA Lead and Copper Testing
Every three years Highwood samples water from 20 homes with lead service lines and analyzes them for lead content. In 2021, the 90th percentile value for our water system, was below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established lead action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).  There were 20 homes tested and all sampled homes were below the action level.

What Does This Mean? 
Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA set the action level for lead in drinking water at 15 ppb.  This means utilities must ensure that water from the customer’s tap does not exceed this level in at least 90 percent of the homes sampled (90th percentile value). The action level is the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.  If water from the tap does exceed this limit, then the utility must take certain steps to correct the problem. Because lead may pose serious health risks, the EPA set a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) of zero for lead.  The MCLG is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. 
 
Higher lead levels may be due to conditions unique to a home, such as the presence of lead solder or brass faucets, fittings and valves that may contain lead.  There are actions you can take to reduce exposure.  We strongly urge you to take the steps below to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water.

What Are The Health Effects of Lead? 
Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones, and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones, which may affect brain development. 

What Are The Sources of Lead? 
The primary sources of lead exposure for most children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust, and lead-contaminated residential soil. Exposure to lead is a significant health concern, especially for young children and infants whose growing bodies tend to absorb more lead than the average adult. Although the 90th percentile value for our water system are below the action level, if you are concerned about lead exposure, parents should ask their health care providers about testing children for high levels of lead in the blood. 
 
What Can I Do To Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water? 

• Run your water to flush out lead. If water hasn’t been used for several hours, run water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes.
• Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula.  Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water.
• Do not boil water to remove lead.  Boiling water will not reduce lead.
• Identify if your plumbing fixtures contain lead.
• Look for alternative treatment of water. You may want to consider purchasing a water filter.  Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead or contact NSF International at 800.NSF.8010 or www.nsf.org for information on performance standards for water filters.

For More Information
For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s Lead Web site, call the National Lead Information Center at 800.424.LEAD, or contact your health care provider.