Mitigation Reimbursement

Mitigation reimbursement is currently available to schools and licensed child care facilities with lead in their drinking water at 2.01ppb or above. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as funds remain. Those facilities with lead-in-water at 15ppb or above (at one or more outlets), located in a lead action level exceedance community (within the past 5 years), and serving children under the age of six will be prioritized for reimbursement support.

When applying to receive mitigation reimbursement, facilities will be required to submit a copy of their lead-in-water test results if testing was performed outside the LeadCare Illinois program. Mitigation work that has already been completed is not eligible for reimbursement.

After you’ve applied to the program, our team will review your information and contact you to confirm eligibility.

• If eligible, we'll schedule a brief call where we will explain your mitigation options and outline how to work with a registered plumbing contractor to perform your planned mitigation activities.
• You'll work with a registered plumbing contractor to get a cost estimate for the recommended mitigation work and will share the estimate with our team.
• Once we review your quote, we’ll share your estimated reimbursement amount. To move forward, we'll ask you to sign our participant agreement, which will solidify your participation for mitigation reimbursement.
• After signing, you’ll work with your registered plumbing contractor to complete the mitigation work. When the work is complete, you’ll share the relevant information with us to confirm it.
• Once all required documents are received, reimbursement is typically issued within 30-45 days. Delays may occur if your paperwork is incomplete.
• After the work is finished, you’ll complete two rounds of follow-up testing to ensure your lead levels have been successfully reduced.

LeadCare Illinois will consider requests for mitigation reimbursement for the following planned activities aimed at reducing lead in drinking water:

• Faucet, fixture, and drinking fountain replacement
• Plumbing fitting replacement
• Point of use (POU) filter installation
• Water pitcher filters (short-term use only) and replacement filters
• Lead or galvanized service line replacement
• Replacement or removal of interior lead pipes, valves, or lead soldered joints
• Plumbing reconfiguration (for example, adding a bypass from a lead source)
• Installation of automatic flushing systems

While there is no limit to the number of fixtures or remediation strategies a school or child care facility can implement, there is a maximum reimbursement amount per fixture or strategy. The total project cost must also remain under $50,000 per facility.

Any filters reimbursed through the program must be NSF/ANSI 53 and 42 certified (a filter with these certifications meets strict standards to reduce lead in drinking water). Plumbers performing work must also ensure that plumbing materials meet the latest lead-free requirements.