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St. Charles officials spent a portion of a recent budget workshop talking about something that could impact residents’ utility bills.
The city is facing a major state-required lead service line replacement program — and the early estimates suggest it wont’ be cheap.
Here’s what to know:
3,400 lines flagged: City staff estimated that St. Charles has about 3,400 lead service lines that will need to be replaced — roughly 26% of all water services in town.
$84 million total cost: The current estimate (including engineering and related work) is about $84 million in today’s dollars, or around $8.4 million per year over a 10-year replacement timeline.
Rates are key: Staff said the city’s most realistic path is building this into ongoing revenue — meaning water rate increases could play a significant role in how the program gets funded.
Costs could climb: The city is already factoring in price escalation, noting that once municipalities across Illinois ramp up lead line replacement, material and contractor costs could rise.
City officials are expected to keep refining funding options in upcoming budget workshops, with more discussion likely before the draft budget is released.
Watch the full city meeting recording.
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