Thank you for volunteering for the Chicago Department of Water Management’s (DWM) MeterSave program. You are scheduled for or we will be contacting you to schedule your water meter installation in your home. As part of DWM’s proactive approach to water quality research, we are conducting a first of its kind study to determine the possible impacts associated with the new meter installation for residences that have lead service lines, and we want your help.

  • At each participating residence, DWM will obtain two sets of water samples from a faucet in your home - the first set before the water meter is installed and the second set within a month of the meter installation. (Phase I)
  • A smaller number of participating residences will then be randomly selected to continue the study, with sampling conducted on a monthly basis for another five consecutive months. (Phase II)
  • It is important for the success of the study that as many eligible MeterSave volunteers as possible participate in the study, and that residences that start each phase of the study participate through to the end of that phase.
  • Residents that complete the Phase I of the study will receive a one-time $50 MasterCard or Visa gift card. Residents that complete the Phase II of the study will receive an additional, one-time $150 MasterCard or Visa gift card.
  • When we collect water samples, you, or an adult member of your household, must be home to provide the water sampling technician access to a faucet within your home, and we will work to schedule a date and time that works for you. The sampling must be done first thing in the morning after 6 hours of no water use and we expect that the sampling will take approximately 15-20 minutes.
  • Once the water samples are collected from your home a 3rd party laboratory will analyze the water for the presence of lead. The results will be provided to you.
  • Samples are required before the installation of the new water meter, so please register today by clicking the "Register" button below or calling 312-742-2406. Please note that for two-flat apartment buildings, no more than one unit may participate in the study.

Thank you for volunteering for this very important study.