"Chicago's Upgrades To Aging Water Lines May Disturb Lead Pipes"

"Chicago's North Broadway Street is always bustling, but in the past few weeks, it has been noisier than ever. There is water flowing from an open fire hydrant, and as traffic inches by, a cement truck backs up and pours concrete down into a big hole in the street.

"Well, we always say there's two seasons: Either winter and construction," says Maureen Martino, the executive director of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce. This water main upgrade is only the beginning; Martino says the city has plenty more scheduled for the area this year.

"When we took a look at the water mains, what they pulled out, this week over on Broadway and see how old they look, and how crumbling and what the new water mains look like, you'll see the need is there," Martino says.

It's part of the city's sweeping plan to update and replace miles of the city's aging water lines that was announced four years ago. But while there has been praise about the long overdue new infrastructure, there has also been criticism — and a lawsuit from residents who say the city's work is causing unsafe lead levels in the city's drinking water."

Cheryl Corley reports for NPR's Morning Edition April 14, 2016.