Illinois EPA Announces $2 Million in Funding to the City of Galesburg to Replace Lead Service Lines

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 Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim announced $2 million in funding to the City of Galesburg (Knox County) to replace lead service lines in the community. The funding is provided through the Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The City of Galesburg (City) will receive 100 percent principal forgiveness for this loan.

“The City of Galesburg has been a state leader in proactively addressing lead service lines in their community,” said Director Kim. “Illinois EPA first provided funding to Galesburg in 2016 and continues to work closely with officials as they prioritize the removal of all lead service lines from their community water supply to protect the health of their residents.”

This is Phase six of seven in the City’s plan to remove lead service lines from the community. The city has continued to provide filters for homes with high detections of lead. The city will replace approximately 500 lead service lines with this current funding, and approximately 170 remaining to be replaced. With this project, Illinois EPA has provided a total of $12 million in funding since 2016 to the Galesburg to replace lead service lines.

Service lines are small pipes that carry drinking water from water mains into homes. Many older homes built prior to 1990 may have lead service lines or lead containing plumbing fixtures or faucets. Lead is a toxic metal that can accumulate in the body over time that can enter drinking water when corrosion of pipes and/or fixtures occurs. Eliminating lead service lines in homes will help to reduce lead exposure for residents. For resources on lead in your home, visit:  https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/general_information/in-your-home/Pages/Resources-on-Lead.aspx.

The Illinois EPA provides Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Principal Forgiveness for projects directly related to activities that reduce or eliminate lead from potable water. To date, Illinois EPA has provided nearly $81 million in funding for lead service line replacement. LSLR principal forgiveness is available up to a maximum amount of $4 million per loan recipient for fiscal year 2023 and will be available until the allotted funds are expended.

To learn more about Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund, visit https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/grants-loans/state-revolving-fund/Pages/default.aspx

***Courtesy of the State of Illinois***

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