CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The city of Chicago is falling well short of its goal to replace hundreds of lead pipes across the city.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wanted the city to replace 650 lead pipes in 2021.
It's September and the city has only replaced three.
Cities across the country have been replacing lead water service lines that were decades old with copper pipes.
A spokesperson said the city is still trying to figure out the scope of the project and that it will pick up the pace of pipe replacement as soon as the project is scaled up.
The city estimates it will cost $27,000 each to replace the 650 lines. Detroit and Denver, meanwhile, have replaced more pipes at a lower cost.
The Chicago Tribune reported a new state law gives the city 50 years to replace lead pipes at every home and two-flat built before the 1980s.
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