Access to safe drinking water should be a fundamental human right; however, clean, lead-free water is not being provided to our communities in a socially equitable way. According to the Metropolitan Planning Council, people of color in Illinois are up to twice as likely as white Illinoisans to live in the communities where nearly all of Illinois’ lead service lines are located. Many who live in areas with high concentrations of lead service lines cannot afford equal access to water filters and bottled water. They are left with contaminated tap water as their only option.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water for households, businesses, schools, and child care centers across the country.
$15 billion is earmarked for replacing lead pipes over the next five years. Of this amount, 49% will be capital forgiveness loans (essentially grants) for disadvantaged communities to ensure affordability.
We need bold and brave leaders to understand the critical and immediate threat that lead service lines pose to communities across the country. The federal government has renewed its focus on infrastructure, making funds available for critically needed improvements, including removing lead service lines. The time is now to take action to eliminate the public health hazard that lead service lines continue to inflict on our communities.
As part of our program management services, we provide industry-leading funding assistance, and over the last 6 years, our team has successfully assisted in securing our clients well over $1 billion worth of loans and grants for projects in the Midwest, and we would like to extend that expertise to you.
With the working relationships we’ve created with the respective federal and state agencies, we intimately understand what it takes to submit a competitive funding application and, once funding is received, meet compliance requirements so the funding is disbursed quickly and regularly.
We will help you navigate the funding process from start to finish, opening opportunities for your community and residents.
Have lead service lines? Milhouse can help!
Learn the best practices for a successful lead service line replacement program.
Exposure to lead in drinking water can have devastating health consequences. The safest solution is to remove all lead pipes, fixtures, and solders from our drinking water distribution system. This will require significant planning, funding, community outreach, and political will. We can address this lingering public health crisis with a clear vision for lead-free water systems and a heightened sense of urgency. We must prioritize replacing our outdated lead service lines with modern infrastructure to provide clean, safe drinking water for all. What’s needed now are leaders to ensure it is prioritized and done with urgency to protect the health of our current and future generations.