East Peoria approves $50,000 lead service line replacement grant program
EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — East Peoria City Council on Tuesday approved a $50,000 grant program to replace lead pipes in homes around the city.
The city's Lead Service Line Replacement Plan will give eligible low-income homeowners up to $1,000 each to comply with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency requirements.
'It's our way of saying, hey, we know that the EPA is pushing this, they're pushing us and we're going to have to be pushing you. This is our way of helping people that are in financial straits to get in line in time,' said Commissioner Michael Sutherland.
Out of 9,000 homes in East Peoria, Sutherland said about 275 homes have lead water service lines. Those homes are in Richland Farms and near East Peoria Community High School at the bottom of Springfield Road.
'So in the grand scheme of things, thankfully it's small scale, but in reality, they're a public responsibility and a private responsibility. The public responsibility is the city's up to a certain point. The homeowners are then on the hook for replacing their lead service line,' said East Peoria Mayor John Kahl.
Eligible low-income homeowners must live in their homes and qualify for Section 8 using East Peoria Housing Authority benchmarks.
'We know that there are people out there who can't afford to replace the water lines,' Sutherland said, adding the average cost is between $2,500 to $3,000.
Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the money is gone, it's gone. East Peoria City Council is actively looking for federal and state grants to replenish the pot.
The Illinois Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act mandates the replacement of all lead service lines throughout the state by 2042. East Peoria identified lead service lines through a comprehensive inventory process with resident surveys.
In 1986, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to ban the use of lead pipes in new installations. Lead is a toxic metal that can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in children, leading to developmental delays, learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
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