Illinois EPA Provides Over $1.2 Million in Funding to the Village of Buda to Replace Lead Service Lines

SPRINGFIELD —Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings announced the award of $1,240,882 in funding to the Village of Buda (Bureau County) to replace lead service lines within the community. The funding is through the Illinois EPA's State Revolving Fund (SRF), which provides low interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The funding is in the form of principal forgiveness, so the Village of Buda (Village) will not have to repay any of the $1,240,882 awarded.

"Through the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act, Illinois has made the removal of lead service lines a priority, providing community water systems with the framework to identify, inventory, and remove these pipes from service," said Acting Director James Jennings. "Through our State Revolving Fund, we are able to afford communities vital funding to remove and replace lead service lines to further protect their residents."

"I'm excited to support critical upgrades in water service infrastructure in Buda. Toxic drinking water, due to corrosion of lead service lines, is a real threat to public health and safety, whether in rural Illinois or urban Chicago," said State Senator Liandro Arellano, Jr. "The Illinois EPA's loan forgiveness program is a key funding partnership that helps turn plans into real projects."

"I am very pleased to see Buda receive this funding to replace their lead service lines," said State Representative Ryan Spain. "We all know the risks posed by lead contamination in drinking water, especially as pipes age. Replacing these pipes will improve the health and well-being of the residents of Buda and provide peace of mind for residents in knowing that their water is coming from safe, lead-free pipes."

With this funding, the Village will replace approximately 97 lead services lines. The Village estimates there are 174 lead service lines within the Village. Lead is a toxic metal that can accumulate in the body over time. Lead can enter drinking water when corrosion of pipes and/or fixtures occurs. Service lines are small pipes that carry drinking water from water mains into homes. Many homes built prior to 1990 may have lead service lines or lead containing plumbing fixtures or faucets. Eliminating lead service lines in homes will help to reduce lead exposure for residents. For resources on lead in your home, visit: https://epa.illinois.gov/general-information/in-your-home/resources-on-lead.html.

"Buda Village Board and residents would like to thank the IEPA for the funding for our lead line project," said Village of Buda Mayor Lisa Aber. "This will help avoid financial hardship for the Village, while allowing us to replace these lead lines to improve water quality for our residents. This funding is so important for Buda and all small communities in Illinois to help with improvements."

Illinois EPA began providing funding for Lead Service Line Replacements (LSLR) in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2017, utilizing funding from the federal Water Infrastructure Fund Transfer Act. In total, Illinois EPA provided $122 million in funding for LSLR through SFY 2023 for projects directly related to activities that reduce or eliminate lead from potable water. In SFY 2024, Illinois EPA awarded approximately $89 million in LSLR funding, and has over $120 million in reserved funding for SFY 2025. To learn more about Illinois EPA's SRF, visit https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/grants-loans/state-revolving-fund.html.