April 29, 2024
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5 Bureau County communities receive grants to help identify lead lines

Community water suppliers must submit inventory no later than April 15

By Derek Barichello
Princeton water tower

Five Bureau County communities were among the recipients of funding to assist in meeting the requirements outlined in the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (LSLRN Act). (Shaw Local File Photo)

Five Bureau County communities were among the recipients of funding to assist in meeting the requirements outlined in the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (LSLRN Act).

Malden, Ohio and Seatonville are set to receive $30,000, while Princeton and Spring Valley are slated for $40,000.

The Lead Service Line Inventory Grant Program offers grants to local government units ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 to fund the creation of a complete lead service line inventory. Under this grant program, a total of 260 Illinois systems have benefited from this funding in calendar year 2023, including 92 additional community water supplies in this round.

The LSLRN Act (Public Act 102-0613) requires owners and operators of CWSs in Illinois to submit a complete, final water service line material inventory for the Illinois EPA’s approval no later than April 15. The final inventory must report the material composition of all service lines within the CWS’s distribution system, including the number of lead service lines.

“The Illinois EPA is prioritizing this funding to assist communities in the development of complete material inventories of their drinking water distribution systems,” said Director John J. Kim in a news release. “We are encouraged by the number of communities that continue to seek funding to identify lead service lines within the drinking water distribution systems so they can be properly removed.”

Round three of the LSLI Grant Program was funded using Illinois EPA’s Local Assistance and Other State Program set-aside of 15% from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Service Line Replacement Grant.

For the third grant funding round, Illinois EPA is funding 92 projects for a total of $3,429,950. Illinois EPA announced the first 42 grant recipients in January of 2023, and an additional 120 recipients receiving funding announced in August 2023. Illinois EPA anticipates offering an additional funding opportunity in early 2024.

Grantees may request supplemental funding in the form of a low-interest loan through the Illinois EPA’s Public Water Supply Loan Program in conjunction with funding to replace lead service lines.