Fehr Graham helps three clients secure funding for lead service line replacement

Fehr Graham, a leading Midwest engineering and environmental firm, helped three clients secure principal forgiveness funding to replace lead service lines.

The Village of Hanover in Jo Daviess County received $2,755,000 to replace 235 lead service lines. The City of Polo in Ogle County received $2 million to replace 175 lead service lines. The Village of Pecatonica in Winnebago County received $859,040 to replace 73 lead service lines.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Interim Director James Jennings announced $43 million in funding for 17 communities through the EPA's State Revolving Fund (SRF), which provides low-interest loans for water, wastewater and stormwater projects. Because the loans are forgiven, none of the communities will have to repay them.

"We know lead service lines are a major obstacle for community water supplies throughout Illinois," Jennings said in a news release. "Illinois EPA is committed to using our State Revolving Fund to maximize funding available to communities to remove the threat of lead in drinking water while prioritizing disadvantaged communities that would have no other resources to take on this challenge."

Service lines are small pipes that carry drinking water from water mains into homes. Homes built before 1986 could have service lines that contain lead. Lead is a naturally occurring element found in all parts of our environment. Eliminating lead service lines will reduce lead exposure for residents.

Since 2017, Fehr Graham has helped several Illinois communities navigate the Illinois EPA Lead Service Line Replacement principal forgiveness program for projects that reduce or eliminate lead from potable water. See a full list of recipients here.

Learn how Fehr Graham can help municipalities with lead service line inventory and replacement.