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Chicago Tribune
10-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin plans to replace lead water lines at another 1,000 homes this year
Over the last three years, the city of Elgin has replaced 2,500 lead water service lines going into residents' homes at a cost of more than $30 million. As the program heads into its fourth year in June, the city's goal is to tackle another 1,000 houses, the price of switching out lead lines for copper about $16.5 million, according to Elgin Water Director Nora Bertram. 'We've done a lot of work to get here. We are continuing full steam ahead,' Bertram said. Full steam ahead until the approximate 10,000 houses believed to have lead lines are addressed and the potential problem of lead leaching into the water eradicated. If they stay on course, the project could be finished by 2027, Bertram said. Houses built before the mid-1980s routinely used lead pipes, or service lines, in construction. The lines tap into the city's main water pipeline in the street and route water into homes. Typically there's little fear of lead contaminiation because of calcification, the process through which minerals in the water build up inside the pipes and form a layer over the lead, experts say. The problem comes when pipes are jarred through underground construction or other actions, which can result in lead particles being released into the water, causing serious health problems for people — especially children — who consume it. Officials stress the city's water supply does not contain lead, and only those houses with lead services lines have the potential for lead to be present. For that reason, the city has been providing free water filters to property owners with lead lines who request them. (Using the water for other purposes, such as bathing, does not pose a risk because lead cannot be absorbed through the skin.) The existence of residential lead service lines is not one that's limited to just the city of Elgin or even the state of Illinois. Federal and state mandates are requiring all lead service lines throughout the country be replaced by 2037. In Elgin, the city's been footing the replacement bill — estmated at $10,000 to $11,000 per home — with the help of state and federal grants and loans, including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and money provided through the American Rescue Plan Act. The city has also sold bonds to help cover the costs and raised the city's water and sewer rates to generate more revenue for the work and for other water and sewer projects. Bertram said the water department is always looking for grant and loan opportunities to help offset the cost, but it can be tough to secure with so many municipalities vying for the money that's available. 'It's definitely becoming more competitive as more communities start implementing their programs,' she said. 'We still have been able to get the funding we've asked for.' Elgin has been trying to position itself to be more attractive as a grant recipient by making its program as efficient as possible, Bertram said. Line replacement began in 2018, before it became a state mandate, and the city has systematically been going neighborhood by neighborhood as a means of combining and reducing costs. An online website shows where construction will be done in the upcoming year. Property owners are notified when the program is starting in their area, and meetings are held with residents to ensure they understand what's going to happen and to answer questions, Bertram said. For the work to be done free of charge at their home, a property owner must sign up on the city's website and fill out required paperwork, including a temporary easement that allows construction crews to do work on private property. Filling out paperwork may be intimidating, but 'if people are nervous about signing it, we will talk them through it,' Bertram said. 'It does take some talking with people and making sure they are comfortable with it.' While there have been some property owners who haven't participated, 'we get a really good response rate,' she said. 'The number of people who have said no is a very low percentage.' Last year, Elgin started working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify and accelerate lead pipe replacement work through an initiative called Get the Lead Out (GLO). GLO has helped the city with public outreach by creating public outreach materials, including translating information into Spanish and Lao, Bertram said. Its consultants also help with filing federal grant applications, she said. Tiffany Reed, an EPA consultant, spoke at a recent Elgin City Council about GLO's efforts to promote the city's voluntary water testing program, identify areas where there are likely to be a high number of lead service lines, and verify the accuracy of historical records and visual inspections of lines. Community engagement is one of GLO's central missions, Reed said. Its representatives will be available to answer questions at the Downtown Elgin Farmers Market on May 30, June 27 and July 25, she said. The best marketing is word of mouth, Bertram said. People who've had their lines replaced should share their experience with friends and neighbors to explain how it works and to alleviate some of the fears, she said. Any property owner who has questions about the lead service line replacement program also can call 311, she added. 'We have a lot of staff who have been doing this for four years and are very well versed on any questions,' Bertram said.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago now out $1.8M after settling lawsuit over plans to house 2,000 migrants on vacant lot fell apart
What do you do if your city promises to pay you, but fails to do so? That's precisely what happened to the owners of a vacant lot in Brighton Park, a neighborhood in Chicago. NBC 5 reports that Barnacres Corporation filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago in 2024 for a breach of contract. The city allegedly failed to pay monthly lease payments to use the land it had intended to place thousands of migrants in winterized tents. The lawsuit settlement was finalized in early April this year at a significant cost to Chicago taxpayers. So what happened, and how much are taxpayers on the hook for? I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Including the $816,506.67 settlement and the nearly $1 million already spent getting the land ready to house migrants, the City of Chicago will pay over $1.8 million — all set to come from taxpayer dollars. The original lease was for the City of Chicago to rent the vacant lot for $91,400 per month. Neither the City of Chicago nor Barnacres Corporation admitted any fault or liability in the settlement. However, the city has agreed to build a wheelchair ramp on a warehouse on the vacant lot and cap off water and sewer lines added previously to anticipate housing migrants. The vacant lot was meant to house around 2,000 migrants to help curb some of the crisis caused partly by an influx of asylum-seekers settling in Chicago. According to the City of Chicago official government website, that's 'over 51,000 new arrivals from the southern border,' between August 31, 2022 and December 18, 2024 alone. However, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scrapped the city's plans following an 800-page report outlining the land's condition, including excessive levels of toxic metals and mercury in the soil and air around the lot. This was even after attempts to remediate some of the environmental concerns. Anthony Moser, a member of FOIA Bakery, an advocacy group, told reporters at NBC 5 that at the very least, the report highlighted the environmental issues that exist in the neighborhood. He added that there may have been 'people who had been living here already and didn't really understand some of the risks that they might be facing.' Read more: Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Despite the scrapped plans, the City of Chicago is seeking ways to combat the continuing challenges with housing migrants. In late 2024, Chicago announced its plans to unify its system for migrants with its homeless shelter system, as the process to house asylum seekers was set to end in December. Called the One System Initiative (OSI), Mayor Brandon Johnson stated this initiative is intended to help everyone who needs assistance in the City of Chicago. However, these shelters may already be at capacity, furthering the need for winterized tents. Last year's data by the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness (CCH) found that over 68,000 residents were experiencing homelessness — this is roughly 2.55% of the population, according to the 2023 Census data for Chicago. By contrast, around 37,000 accessed services for the homeless (about 1.4% of the population). These numbers don't include the large number of migrants arriving in the city. Now that the vacant lot project has been scrapped, it's unclear what future plans exist for the area or those seeking shelter. In the meantime, taxpayers must pay for what some deemed a controversial project to begin with. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead There's a 60% chance of a recession hitting the American economy this year — protect your retirement savings with these essential money moves ASAP (most of which you can complete in just minutes) This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dixon council accepts bid for $21M project to update wastewater treatment plant
May 4—DIXON — Dixon city officials are moving forward with a $21 million project to update the aging infrastructure at the wastewater treatment plant. "This is going to be a long-term project," Public Works Director Matt Heckman said. "It's the revamping of all of the major systems at the wastewater treatment plant. Although they're still functioning properly at this moment, they have reached a point of mechanical life where we need to update or repair these things before they start to give us fits." At the April 21 Dixon City Council meeting, the council approved a bid of $18.257 million from Vissering Construction Co. of Streator. The project is expected to take about 18 months to complete, but next steps are dependent on the city being formally accepted into the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Water Pollution Control Loan Program, which is how the city is paying for the upgrades, Heckman said. So far, the city has received preliminary approvals from the program and expects to get that formal approval within the next two months, Heckman said. Based on the preliminary approvals, the entire project is eligible to be financed through the program, and the principal forgiveness increased from $4.8 million to $6.3 million, Heckman said. Principal forgiveness is a portion of the loan that is permanently removed; the borrower is not responsible for paying that amount. "That's a big win for us. It's been a pretty good week for the city of Dixon," Heckman said. The remaining costs will be financed at 1.2% interest over 30 years with an annual payment of about $600,000, "which is exactly where we want to be," Heckman said. This type of financing for costly needed projects "is a fairly effective way of doing the infrastructure," Mayor Glen Hughes said in an interview with Shaw Local Radio. Dixon's wastewater treatment plant "is over 20 years old. A lot of things need to be upgraded," Hughes said. "We've been talking about these improvements for many years," Heckman said, adding that if left as is, "you could have a critical failure at the wastewater treatment plant, which would not be ideal." Heckman said the updates also incorporate some upcoming regulatory changes from the IEPA mandating that by 2030, plants treating at least 1 million gallons a day must lower their phosphorus levels to 0.5 milligrams per liter, as part of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. "The Illinois EPA sets the standards for wastewater effluent. We take meeting and exceeding those standards very seriously. We want to keep our waterways clean. ... That's super important to us," Heckman said. Other repairs to the plant also were completed in late 2024. There were a couple screws — one broken, another fractured — that needed to be fixed because they're an important structural part of the system that moves the waste, Hughes said. The council approved a bid of $439,905 for that project at its Nov. 4 meeting. Those screws needed to be replaced for a long time. The issue was first brought to the city's attention under former Comptroller Rita Crundwell and was expected to cost about $35,000, council member Dennis Considine said in a previous interview with Shaw Local. Considine was elected to the council six months before Crundwell was escorted out of Dixon City Hall in handcuffs in April 2012 and convicted in 2013 of embezzling $53.7 million from the city. While Dixon struggled to pay for infrastructure and other projects, she used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle raising champion quarter horses, a $2 million tour bus, multiple homes and other trappings. The completion of that screw project wrapped up the list of backlogged projects. Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss said Friday "we're not catching up with anything from Crundwell" that he's aware of.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sterling announces land agreement for site of new wastewater treatment facility
Apr. 24—STERLING — Sterling officials have reached a preliminary agreement with a private landowner to secure a site for a new wastewater treatment facility. The announcement was made by City Manager Scott Schumard during Monday's Sterling City Council meeting. "The city recently came to an agreement with the property owner for the purchase of land for the city's next wastewater treatment plant," Schumard said. "That happened last week. With that secured, the city will begin planning and engineering to replace the 46-year-old plant currently in use and unable to meet upcoming regulations." Wastewater Superintendent Cory Bradshaw said the project has been planned for several years to address upcoming state regulatory changes, including phosphorous reduction. "We have to start reducing the phosphorus, and that is going to be a whole new treatment process that we're not capable of doing here," Bradshaw said. Wastewater treatment facilities in Illinois are facing tougher phosphorus reduction regulations. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's new restrictions mainly apply to larger plants treating at least 1 million gallons a day. By 2030, these facilities will need to lower phosphorus levels to 0.5 milligrams per liter, as part of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. Although some details of the project currently are confidential while the land deal is being finalized, including the new facility's location and the landowner's name, Bradshaw said construction is expected to begin two to three years after the acquisition, with an additional two years for completion. The new plant will replace Sterling's aging wastewater facility at 2400 W. Lynn Blvd., which was built in the 1970s. Bradshaw said the current lagoon-based treatment system is becoming outdated and inefficient in terms of cost and environmental performance. Original cost projections for the project from several years ago were calculated at $50 million to $60 million, although that figure may increase. While the exact size and square footage of the new plant has not been finalized, Bradshaw said that it will be "completely different" from the current facility. "It should be state-of-the-art once it's finished," Bradshaw said. "We're looking at being a lot more efficient. As far as the treatment process, it should cost a lot less to treat the water." The current plant will not be decommissioned, but will instead be converted into a large lift station. Half of its 32-acre lagoon will be filled in, while the remaining portion will be used for stormwater retention. From there, wastewater will be pumped to the new facility for treatment. Despite the size of the project, Bradshaw does not anticipate any service disruptions for residents, and the new facility will not require additional staff.
