Researchers at Northwestern University are working with Sustainable Englewood Initiatives to study the effectiveness of a new at-home lead test for drinking water in the Greater Englewood community. The project is recruiting 116 households to participate in testing their water for lead contamination.
The effort follows earlier studies by the Making Water Insecurity Visible Group, which began examining water quality on Chicago’s Southeast Side and in Evanston in 2024. Initially, researchers used an at-home test developed by startup Stemloop but found that results were unclear. However, laboratory analysis did detect lead in some samples, according to Vanessa Bly, research coordinator at Northwestern’s Center for Synthetic Biology.
Bly explained that doctoral students at the center then developed a new test that improved detection of lead. “Using feedback from the community and data collected from two more rounds of studies, they refined the accuracy and accessibility of the at-home test,” Bly said.
Participants must be over 18 years old, live in a one-unit home built before 1986 within Greater Englewood, and agree to three visits from study staff over one month. They will receive two $25 Visa gift cards, a free water filtration device with replacement filters, and additional resources to address water contamination.
Greater Englewood has experienced significant pollution due to its proximity to major railways and highways. Heavy truck traffic related to projects like the Norfolk Southern Railway expansion may contribute to increased lead exposure as vibrations could disturb old pipes. Researchers want to examine how these conditions affect entire blocks within the neighborhood.
“What we’ve learned from doing this study is, if we give people the knowledge of what’s in their drinking water, they will take action to protect themselves,” Bly said. “We want to inspire people in Englewood to make that change just like we’ve inspired people in other communities.”
The process involves collecting two water samples: one after six hours of inactivity and another representing stagnant service line water. The new test uses a strip indicating if lead levels reach or exceed five parts per billion—the legal limit for drinking water—and includes an app for analyzing results through photos.
Bly noted that while residents can order free testing kits from Chicago’s Department of Water Management, receiving results may take weeks or months. As of last year, there were approximately 400,000 homes citywide with lead service lines built before 1986; replacing them is expected to require decades and billions of dollars.
“If you have high levels of lead in your water, you can use this test to verify it and do something about it,” Bly said. “There are a lot of things that are hard to fix and costly, but this is a matter you can take into your own hands and it’s free.”
Bly expressed hope that affordable testing could eventually be available citywide so residents can monitor their own water quality and advocate for pipe replacement when necessary.
