Illinois EPA Provides Over $2.3 Million in Funding to the Village of Forest Park to Replace Lead Service Lines

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings announced the award of $2,309,465 in funding to the Village of Forest Park (Cook 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 Forest Park (Village) will not have to repay any of the $2,309,465 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."

"Lead service lines are a very real example of how historic inequities—even when buried—can poison our future," said House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris' Welch. "Every person deserves access to safe drinking water. That's why I'm so proud to help move Illinois forward by upgrading this most crucial infrastructure and building a cleaner, brighter future for our communities."

"The need for clean drinking water is a public health emergency that must be tackled with urgency," said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford. "The investment into Forest Park is long overdue - and serves as a win for the health and safety of its residents and for communities across the state."

With this funding, the Village will replace approximately 369 lead services lines. 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.

"The Village of Forest Park is grateful for the Pritzker Administration's support," said Village of Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins. "The combined funding that our village has received over the last two years allows up to replace approximately 25% of our total volume of lead service lines that will have to be replaced."

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.