Illinois senators secure $1 million to remove lead pipes from schools, childcare buildings

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — The state of Illinois is getting money to reduce lead exposure for children.

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced the state will get $1,093,000 to reduce the number of lead pipes in schools and childcare facilities in the state.

“Every American, no matter their zip-code, deserves access to safe drinking water,” Duckworth said. “I’m so proud we were able to secure this critical support to help ensure our children have access to safe drinking water at schools and daycare centers across Illinois. With this replacement program and funding made possible by my Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act, I’m committed to doing everything I can at the federal level to help achieve our goal of removing every lead pipe in America over the next decade.”

The money comes from the federal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. A federal grant has provided more than $150 million in funding to conduct testing and removal of lead sources in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities across the U.S.

“As a nation, we bear the responsibility of nurturing and protecting our youngest citizens,” Durbin said. “Yet, we have witnessed the devastating consequences of neglecting the quality of their learning environments. With this funding, we persist in our mission to confront the lead crisis head-on by investing in the transformative power of prevention, ensuring every child has access to the clean, safe water they deserve and every family has peace of mind when sending their loved ones to school.”

For Illinois, the estimated price tag to remove the more than 667,000 lead service lines in the state is $11.6 billion. Officials also note there are almost 820,000 service lines of unknown material.

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