SPRINGFIELD – Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim on Jan 17th, announced $4,111,200 million in funding to the City of Sycamore (DeKalb County) to replace lead service lines in the community. The funding is provided through the Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF), which provides low-interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The City of Sycamore (City) will not have to repay $4 million of the total loan through existing loan rules.

“As a result of the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act, which became effective January 1, 2022, owners and operators of Illinois community water supplies have been working to develop comprehensive water service line material inventories and replacement plans,” said Director Kim. “Sycamore is just one example of many communities that are identifying and replacing lead service lines with funding available through Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund. We look forward to our continued work with our communities working to address this important issue.”

The City plans to replace approximately 365 lead services lines within the community with the funding. This is the second lead service line replacement project Illinois EPA has funded for the City. Illinois EPA announced over $1.6 million in funding in February 2022 to fund the replacement of approximately 120 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 $85 million in funding for lead service line replacement. LSLR principal forgiveness is available up to a maximum amount of $4 million per loan recipient 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