Press Release – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) has announced that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) will receive an additional $139,698 in grant funding to help get lead and other contaminants out of Illinois’ drinking water and to boast the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Duckworth authored the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Illinois leads the nation in known lead service lines, and this federal support will help the Illinois EPA remove and replace lead pipes. The funding will also help remove and prevent contaminants and ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS (poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances) used in fire retardants, oil and water repellents, furniture, waterproof clothes, take-out containers, and non-stick cookware.
“This SRF funding, made possible by my Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help improve the safety of our drinking water in Illinois,” said Duckworth. “I’m also pleased that because of my DWWIA bill, this funding will be grants to ensure these investments reach the most underserved communities. 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.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included Senator Duckworth’s DWWIA, is the most significant federal investment in water infrastructure in history, including $15 billion to replace lead service lines across the nation. Duckworth’s DWWIA, which has a focus on disadvantaged communities, is helping rebuild our nation’s crumbling and dangerous water infrastructure and enabling communities to repair and modernize their failing wastewater systems while creating jobs.