HB4295 Summary: Lead Service Line Replacement

• Requires community water supply owners/operators to develop and submit comprehensive water service line material inventories by April 15, 2024, identifying all lead and suspected lead service lines in their distribution systems.

• Mandates full replacement of lead service lines according to tiered timelines based on the number of lines (ranging from 15 years for supplies with 1,200 or fewer lines to 50 years for supplies with over 99,999 lines), with minimum annual replacement rates of 2-7% depending on system size.

• Establishes a Lead Service Line Replacement Advisory Board with 28+ voting members representing municipalities, public health advocates, water utilities, labor organizations, and environmental justice communities to advise the Department of Public Health on implementation.

• Creates a Lead Service Line Replacement Fund administered by the Department of Public Health to finance planning, design, and construction costs directly related to lead service line replacement, with funding prioritized for low-income areas and high-risk facilities like schools and hospitals.

• Requires water supply operators to provide written notice to affected building owners and occupants before replacement work, offer point-of-use filters when emergency repairs prevent full replacement, and comply with Illinois Plumbing Code separation requirements unless an automatic variance is granted for undue hardship.