"Chicago Has The Most Lead Pipes In The Nation. We Mapped Them All."

"Here's what the data reveals about who's most at risk." 

"As Gina Ramirez buckled her 11-year-old son into her car last month for their daily drive to school, she handed him a plastic water bottle.  

“I would love to be able to have him put a cup under the tap if he was thirsty,” Ramirez said. 

She can’t.

Ramirez lives in a home on Chicago’s Southeast Side that’s serviced by a lead water pipe, a toxic relic found in most old homes in the city and many across the country. Exposure to lead can cause serious health harms, including neurological, kidney, and reproductive issues. Infants and young children are particularly susceptible."

Keerti Gopal, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Peter Aldhous, Clayton Aldern, and Amy Qin report for Grist, Inside Climate News, and WBEZ August 28, 2025.