SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Javier Cervantes is happy to announce that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants to 48 communities in need of lead service line replacements, including a $40,000 grant for the Village of Lyons and $40,000 for the Village of Stickney.

“We need to prioritize clean drinking water being available to all communities,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “These funds will be utilized to identify and create a plan to repair lead service lines within our area.”

The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act requires owners and operators of community water supplies in Illinois to submit a complete water service line material inventory for the Illinois EPA’s approval no later than April 15, 2024. The complete inventory must report the composition of all service lines within the CWS’s distribution system.

The Lead Service Line Inventory Grant Program uses Illinois EPA Public Water Supply Loan Program funding generated from loan repayments. Illinois EPA conducted a review of all grant applications to determine priority and will fund 48 projects for a total of $2,000,000. Of the 48 funded projects, 40 are in areas with environmental justice concerns. Grantees may request supplemental funding in the form of a low-interest loan through the Illinois EPA’s PWSLP in conjunction with funding to replace lead service lines.

“Clean drinking water is not only vital to life but vital to everyday operations for our communities, its important that we make sure our water is clean and safe for all,” Cervantes said.

Illinois EPA anticipates another funding opportunity will be announced in the coming weeks. Additional information on the program is available on the Illinois EPA website.

###