SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, July 27 - Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim today announced $4 million in funding to the City of Aurora (in portions of DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties) to replace lead service lines in the community. The funding is provided through a low-interest loan from the Illinois EPA's State Revolving Fund, which provides funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The City of Aurora (City) will receive 100 percent principal forgiveness for this loan.

"We are encouraged to see more and more Illinois communities taking action to inventory and remove lead service lines, and our State Revolving Fund program is aiding communities by providing these forgivable loans," said Director Kim. "Illinois is believed to have the largest number of lead service lines in the nation. The Illinois EPA is taking this significant undertaking head on by working closely with communities on their projects to remove this threat from drinking water throughout the State."

The City currently replaces up to 100 lead service lines per year as needed based on water leaks or construction requirements. The Illinois EPA's financial assistance will fund the replacement of approximately 600 lead service lines at various locations throughout the City.

Service lines are small pipes that carry drinking water from water mains into homes. Many older homes still have lead service lines. Household plumbing fixtures and faucets made prior to 1986 may also contain lead. 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.

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. Illinois EPA has made more than $107 million in funding available in the form of principal forgiveness to complete LSLR activity in fiscal years 2021 - 2023, until the allotted funds are expended. As of June 30, 2022, over $55 million of the funds have been committed to LSLR projects in Illinois, with several additional projects in the pipeline. LSLR principal forgiveness is available up to a maximum amount of $4 million per fiscal year for 2022 and 2023 for any one loan recipient.