DeKalb city leaders seek to replace final lead service lines

DeKALB – DeKalb city leaders are one step closer to replacing the last of the lead service lines in town.

The city’s efforts to make this happen have been a long time in the making, officials said.

At a recent City Council meeting, DeKalb officials authorized a $2.9 million bid submitted by Five Star Energy Services. Each line replacement is estimated to cost about $11,303 per service.

In doing so, DeKalb city leaders will look to zero-in on the 2025-26 lead and galvanized service line replacement project. The plan is to replace 260 lead and galvanized water service lines through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) principal forgiveness loan.

It all comes on the heels of a bill signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in August 2021, which mandated the replacement of water service piped lined with lead, a known health risk, and set up a notification system to alert property owners about potential lead exposure.

Mayor Cohen Barnes said compared to some communities, DeKalb has put itself in a good position to comply with the state’s directive on lead service line replacements.

“... We are way ahead of the game, which is fantastic and then to have all the funds to make it happen is pretty cool,” Barnes said.

It was identified in July 2024 that the city had 85 lead service lines to replace, which it would address by using a portion of American Rescue Plan Act monies, city documents show.

Around that time, DeKalb officials pinpointed a need for additional assistance in replacing an estimated 121 lead or galvanized service lines remaining in the city.

In the spring 2024, the city was notified that it may be eligible to receive $2.3 million in principal loan forgiveness to be used toward lead service line replacements, city documents show.

But the City Council also enlisted the services of Engineering Enterprises, Incorporated (EEI) around that time to develop a lead service replacement plan that might qualify the city for grant assistance.

By August 2024, DeKalb city leaders were notified that the final IEPA grant allocation amounted to a little more than an estimated $3 million, city documents show.

The city extended EEI’s contract in July 2024 to prepare and coordinate IEPA application forms in advance of a bid letting, city documents show.

On Feb. 10, the City Council authorized an additional contract with EEI to help enable what officials call the “daylighting,” or the exposing of service lines to help identify the type of piping material.

City officials said EEI identified an additional 260 lead and galvanized service lines need to be replaced.

City Manager Bill Nicklas said the city has faced challenges trying to replace its lead service lines.

“We’ve had trouble for years and years, decades really in trying to identify all of those services that consist of lead and now galvanized has been added to the state list of unacceptable service lines,” Nicklas said.

This is no longer the case, however.

Nicklas touted where the city stands with lead service line replacements.

“The city’s been keeping pace with the state’s guidance on what needs to be done and how we’re to do it,” Nicklas said. “We’re checking all the boxes.”

Nicklas said the city hopes to have the lead service line replacements completed by the end of 2026.

Also at the meeting, the City Council amended a contract agreement with EEI for professional engineering services in an amount not to exceed $290,952.

The city has been working with the Elburn-based engineering and land surveying firm for more than three years, officials said.

According to the terms of the agreement, EEI’s responsibilities include individual project management, preparation of on-line field maps, preparation of pre-construction meeting, home assessment with contractor and city, on-line data management using field maps, on-site meetings with the city as needed, punch-list walks, and more.

The agreement, as approved, amends the contract that received the City Council’s backing in February 2025.