NEW REPORT DETAILS HOW LEAD PIPE REPLACEMENT CAN DRIVE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITY

NEW REPORT DETAILS HOW LEAD PIPE REPLACEMENT CAN DRIVE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITY

Report outlines how a $6 billion infrastructure challenge can become a pathway to widespread economic growth if funding is deployed intentionally  

CHICAGO, ILL. –Four Illinois based organizations, Current, Elevate, HIRE360, and Metropolitan Planning Council, released a new report calling for intensified training and funding to meet the labor demands of replacing lead service lines across Illinois. The report, titled Leveraging Lead Service Line Replacement for Workforce Inclusion and Growth, identifies strategies to help ensure the public health imperative of replacing an estimated 820,000 lead ser vice lines statewide and also delivers broad-based economic benefits, particularly for communities most affected by lead exposure.

Lead service line replacement (LSLR) represents a more than $6 billion infrastructure challenge and a significant workforce development opportunity. At full scale, this work is projected to generate up to 90,000 jobs over the next decade in plumbing, construction, and related fields, based on employment multipliers from the American Water Works Association and the Environmental Protection Agency.

While LSLR will substantially increase construction activity and demand for skilled labor, the report finds that the current workforce pipeline is neither large enough nor representative enough to meet this need. According to the Inclusive Economy Lab’s 2025 analysis, 3.8% of registered apprentices in the Illinois construction industry are women and 10% are Black — figures that do not reflect the state’s demographics or the volume of workers required to deliver LSLR at scale.

The report warns that without intentional workforce training strategies, the people and places with the greatest exposure to lead service lines are unlikely to benefit from the employment opportunities presented by this massive infrastructure investment.

Drawing on conversations with labor leaders, contractors, utilities, workforce providers, and community advocates, the organizations identified a clear need for policies that intentionally expand access to training, apprenticeships, and employment for underrepresented populations.

The report outlines a set of actionable recommendations designed to align infrastructure investment with inclusive workforce outcomes. These include dedicated state funding to close the more than $6 billion gap in replacement costs, block-by- block contracting to improve efficiency and create more apprenticeship opportunities and embedding diversity and inclusion goals directly into bid documents.

Additional recommendations include supporting small, women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned firms through training in bidding and project management; incentivizing contractors to hire from disadvantaged communities while maintaining employment continuity; and encouraging contractors to partner with state funded pre-apprenticeship programs to source diverse candidates.

The report also emphasizes the importance of community outreach and oversight. It calls for the use of community outreach coordinators to serve as liaisons between project teams and residents, helping to build trust and ensure clear communication. At the state level, the report recommends agencies should provide platforms to advertise opportunities statewide, track contractor performance against workforce goals, and address barriers to participation such as childcare and transportation.

With funding already authorized and momentum building to deploy it, the organizations stress that decisions made now will shape whether Illinois uses this investment to advance inclusive economic development or misses a critical once-in-a-generation opportunity to build both healthier communities and a stronger workforce.

“Lead service line replacement can improve public health and expand opportunity at the same time,” the organizations said. “Illinois has the resources to do both. The outcome depends on how this work is implemented.”   

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