Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $332,243,000 to Illinois for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades across the state through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Thanks to a $6 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is increasing the investments available to rebuild the nation’s water infrastructure. 

“Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s infrastructure investments, we have an unprecedented opportunity to revitalize America’s drinking water systems, support the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of removing 100% of lead pipes across our country, and protect communities from PFAS pollution.” 

Administrator Region announced the investment today in Rockford at the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America tour with Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Rep. Eric Sorensen, Rockford Mayor Thomas McNamara, and Illinois EPA Director John Kim.

“Environmental injustice has allowed drinking water infrastructure failures to proliferate in communities like Rockford,” said Sen. Dick Durbin. “Thankfully, with the help of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, almost $330 million is being brought home to Illinois to confront a monumental task: to ensure our communities know and trust their water is safe to drink. Rockford will finally be able to implement their plans to improve the lives of their residents and I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to deliver more federal funding to communities like them.”

“I’m proud to be in Rockford today to help EPA announce this historic SRF funding, which was made possible by my Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA) in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that will help upgrade, improve and repair water infrastructure in Illinois and around the country,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth. “Because of my DWWIA bill, I’m also pleased that a portion of this funding will be available as grants and loan forgiveness to ensure these investments reach the most underserved communities and give all of our water systems this opportunity. 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.” 

“Everyone in Central and Northwestern Illinois should have access to safe, clean drinking water," said Rep. Eric Sorensen. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is working to make that happen by replacing lead pipes in places like Rockford, Illinois. These investments will help our families live healthier lives and create good-paying, sustainable jobs at the same time.” 

 “With this historic increase in drinking water SRF funding, we will remain at the forefront of addressing lead and other water infrastructure needs in our community and continue our commitment to providing safe drinking water for all Rockford residents,” said Rockford Mayor Thomas McNamara.

“Illinois has a tremendous need related to lead service line replacements, and the increased funding allotment for Illinois more accurately represents the challenges we face,” said Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim. “This infusion of funding is vital to Illinois being able to take on this formidable yet crucial task and we look forward to our continued work with Illinois communities and our federal partners.”

 “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing long overdue resources to our nation’s drinking water infrastructure,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “The funding being announced today will go towards providing safe, reliable drinking water to Illinois residents for generations to come.” 

What Illinois officials are saying: 

“I am thrilled that the state of Illinois is set to receive over $230 million to replace toxic lead service lines. With more than one million lead pipes in Illinois, the second highest number in the nation, this funding will be critical to help ensure safe and clean drinking water for all Illinoisans and their families – an effort I have championed for many years,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky. “Thanks to President Biden’s Infrastructure Law, $15 billion dollars is being allocated nationwide to help remove lead service lines, helping communities across the nation better access clean drinking water. Our children deserve a safe and sustainable environment. We must keep up the fight.”

“Every household deserves access to safe drinking water - regardless of their zip code or income,” said Rep. Bill Foster. “I was proud to support the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will provide an additional $6.5 billion to invest in essential drinking water infrastructure across the nation and in Illinois. I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is continuing to deliver results for Illinois communities, and I'll keep working to ensure our country has the water resources it deserves for decades to come.”

“Every American deserves access to clean and safe drinking water,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “I was proud to secure provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fund drinking water infrastructure upgrades, including the replacement of lead pipes that often contaminate water, and to have since advocated for funding distribution based on state need. I’m so glad to see that this funding will be used to help communities in Illinois and ensure our drinking water is clean.”

“Far too many communities across our country do not have reliable access to clean drinking water,” said Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García. “From replacing lead pipes to improving storage, life-saving investments in clean water infrastructure like these are crucial. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a historic piece of environmental legislation, and I’m proud that it is already helping build a more just and sustainable future for our communities.”

“Failing water infrastructure continues to threaten the health and safety of communities in Central and Southern Illinois and across our state,” said Rep. Nikki Budzinski. “I applaud the EPA’s investment of more than $34 million dollars in Illinois’ wastewater and stormwater systems and I look forward to working with local communities like Cahokia Heights to secure funding that will ensure access to safe drinking water and create good paying jobs in our region.” 

“Our aging water infrastructure must be met with serious investments to protect public health. That’s why I’m pleased to see new funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I helped pass, come to our state to help communities improve the quality of their drinking water,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood. “I’m also glad to see EPA has answered our call to change its assessment of lead service line funding to better serve states like Illinois, which has more lead service lines than any other state. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and EPA’s assessment update will protect the public health of Illinois communities for generations to come.”

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to strengthening the nation’s water infrastructure, while providing significant resources to address key challenges, including climate change, emerging contaminants like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and cybersecurity.

These DWSRF allotments to states are based on the results of EPA’s 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA). The survey, which is required by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, assesses the nation’s public water systems’ infrastructure needs every four years and the findings are used to allocate DWSRF grants to states. The drinking water utilities need $625 billion in infrastructure investments over the next 20 years to ensure the nation’s public health, security, and economic well-being.

At the direction of Congress, EPA’s 7th Drinking Water Assessment, for the first time included survey questions focused on lead service lines and is projecting a national total of 9.2 million lead service lines across the country. This best available national and state-level projections of service line counts will help advance a unique opportunity to employ a separate lead service line allotment formula for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Funding that is based on need. Almost $3 billion of the funding announced today will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement, taking a key step toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of achieving 100% lead free water systems.

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing over $50 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between FY 2022 and FY 2026. In its second year of implementation, $6 billion of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will be available to states, Tribes, and territories through the DWSRF. Of that funding, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $3 billion in lead service line identification and improvement, $800 million to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and $2.2 billion in other critical drinking water system improvements. Additionally, approximately $500 million will also be available through the DWSRF annual appropriations, established by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

EPA is committed to ensuring every community has access to this historic investment and has centralized increasing investment in disadvantaged communities within its implementation. The implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law calls for strong collaboration, and EPA continues to work in partnership with states, Tribes, and territories to ensure that communities see the full benefits of this investment. In addition, EPA is strengthening its water technical assistance programs to support communities in assessing their water needs and apply for their fair share of this historic investment.

President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

More information, including state-by-state allocation of 2023 funding and information on the DWINSA.

More information on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Background

The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments mandated that EPA conduct an assessment of the nation’s public water systems’ infrastructure needs every four years and use the findings to allocate DWSRF capitalization grants to states.

The DWSRFs have been the foundation of water infrastructure investment for more than 25 years, providing low-cost financing for local projects across America.  Since its inception, states have provided almost $53 billion through DWSRF programs to water systems for approximately 18,000 projects. Each state receives an allocation percentage that is based directly on its proportional share of the total need for all 50 States and Puerto Rico. The percentage made available to any individual state ranges from 1% to almost 11%, with each state guaranteed a minimum of 1% of the total amount available to states. Due to any individual state’s share of the total state need, some states will see increases or decreases in the percentage of funding they receive.

Original source can be found here.