By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The city will be able to replace at least 960 lead municipal water lines with the help of $4 million in funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, state Sen. Steve Stadelman announced Tuesday.
There are more than 13,000 known lead service lines in the city, Public Works Director Kyle Saunders said last month. He said the city replaced more than 1,400 over the past three years.
The small pipelines carry drinking water from water mains into homes. Congress banned the installation of lead service lines in 1986, but most lines installed before then were never removed.
“Lead is a toxin that can accumulate in the body and cause serious illness or even death,” Stadelman said in a news release. “This funding protects public water supplies and helps Rockford and other cities across the state replace these aging water pipes before IEPA deadlines kick in.”
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Rockford has received $16 million from the IEPA since 2019 to replace lead service lines, according to Stadelman’s news release. The program’s maximum award amount is $4 million.
Since 2017, the IEPA has provided $105 million in funding for lead service line replacement across Illinois.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.