MPC Senior Manager Comments on Lead Service Line Replacement
Can replacing Illinois’ toxic lead pipes lead to a workforce boom?
Illinois has nearly 1.5 million lead service lines. A new report estimates replacing the unsafe pipes has the potential to create 90,000 jobs.
By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ Chicago
Published March 23, 2026
In this article, WBEZChicago publicized the report, “Leveraging Lead Service Line Replacement for Workforce Growth” prepared by MKM Consultants in collaboration with Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), Current, Elevate, HIRE360 in this article addressing Illinois’ long-overdue lead pipe replacement project.
The article promotes the report’s assertion that Illinois has the rare opportunity to tackle two challenges at once: address its toxic legacy while laying the groundwork for a more inclusive economy. MPC Senior Manager Justin Williams was quoted, saying in part, “We are the envy of the world in terms of our access to fresh drinking water. We need to be really thoughtful stewards of that, and that means investing in that the same way we invest in other infrastructure.”