CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot has suspended the city’s water meter installation program after recent testing found high concentrations of lead in some homes.

The mayor’s order to halt work on the program is said to be out of an abundance of caution and comes after the city has already installed new water meters in nearly 200,000 homes

Data uncovered by the Chicago Tribune found there were spikes of brain-damaging lead in more than one in five homes where new meters were installed.

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The problem is attributed to street work on or near the city’s old lead pipes, plumbing repairs or the installation of the smart meters.

Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel had pushed for smart meters to encourage water conservation. The city borrowed more than $480M to fund the program, leading to higher water rates.

Despite all the documented issues associated with “Smart” Meters (including fires and explosions), some elected officials are still promoting these meters as eco-friendly (even though they aren’t) and beneficial to customers (ha). Fortunately a growing number of others are doing their damnedest to rid them from their communities and their states.