Chicago’s Lead Pipe Crisis Hits Black and Latino Communities Hardest

Chicago has the largest concentration of lead service lines in the U.S., with an estimated 412,000 homes still connected to contaminated or partially lead pipes. Roughly 84% of city residences are affected, leaving families — particularly in Black and Latino neighborhoods — exposed to a neurotoxic hazard.

A new mapping tool reveals a stark overlap between lead pipe density, poverty, and race, with the South and West Sides bearing the heaviest burden. Despite the known risks, the city’s pipe replacement program is underfunded, slow-moving, and projected to last until 2076, decades beyond federal targets.

Lead exposure has no safe threshold and can cause irreversible neurological harm, developmental delays, kidney damage, and hypertension. For many residents, bottled water and filters remain the only safeguards. Advocates argue that systemic neglect and weak enforcement continue to endanger millions, underscoring the need for faster, more equitable public health action.

28-08-2025