PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will get an additional $139.6 million in federal grants to help get lead and other contaminants out of our state’s drinking water, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth announced Tuesday.
The money, which will substantially boost the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, (DWSRF), was included in a bipartisan infrastructure law.
Duckworth said Illinois leads the nation in known lead service lines, and the new federal dollars will help the IEPA remove and replace dangerous lead pipes.
The investment will also help remove and prevent contaminants, including harmful forever chemicals known as PFAS, in the state’s drinking water.
The Illinois Democrat said she was happy the money would help underserved communities, adding “Every American — no matter their race, income or zip code — deserves to have confidence that the systems carrying and processing the water they use every day are safe, clean and reliable.”
