
For Immediate Release – Monday, May 13, 2024
Illinois EPA Invests Nearly $205 Million in Drinking Water and Wastewater Projects in Third Quarter of FY24
$20.6 Million in Loan Forgiveness Granted to Loan Recipients
SPRINGFIELD –Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director John J. Kim announced the investment of nearly $205 million through water infrastructure loans to local governments and water districts for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 (January – March 2024). The Illinois EPA State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program provides low-interest loans that fund wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water projects. Of that investment, more than $20.6 million in loan forgiveness was provided to those recipients meeting the loan rules for either the Small Community Rate or Hardship Rate.
“The Illinois EPA State Revolving Fund continues to provide vital financial assistance to communities and water districts throughout Illinois,” said Director Kim. “Illinois EPA remains committed to helping to remedy deteriorating and failing infrastructure across our state by being a solid funding resource for communities in need of long-term, low-interest, and subsidized funding.”
Illinois EPA’s SRF includes two loan programs, the Water Pollution Control Loan Program which funds both wastewater and stormwater projects, and the Public Water Supply Loan Program for drinking water projects. Both programs provide funding at a low interest rate of just 1.81 percent for State FY24. These SRF programs receive federal capitalization funding annually, which is combined with state matching funds, interest earnings, repayment money, and periodic bond sale proceeds, to form the source of financing for these infrastructure projects. The state matching funds for State FY2020-2024 are being provided through Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, thus increasing the funding capacity of both loan programs.
A complete list of FY24 third quarter loan recipients is attached. For more information about Illinois EPA’s SRF, visit https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/grants-loans/state-revolving-fund.html.
January – March 2024 Loans (FY24-Q3)
County | Recipient | Description | Amount | Principal Forgiveness |
Boone | City of Belvidere | The City will decommission two wells contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a PFAS chemical. A new Well No. 11 and wellhouse will be constructed to replace these wells as a source of safe drinking water. | $1,478,842 | $1,478,842 |
Champaign | Sangamon Valley Public Water District | The District project includes several wastewater treatment plant improvements include construction of a new screening building, constructing a new chemical building, and replacing the disinfection structure. This project also includes the replacement of the Lake of the Woods lift station and rerouting its force main to a larger interceptor. | $10,513,832 | |
Champaign | Village of Rantoul | The Village will conduct wastewater treatment plant improvements including construction of a northwest lift station, a northwest overflow lift station, and an Evans Road lift station. | $17,932,603 | $5,000,000 |
Christian | Christian County Water Reclamation District | The District will replace existing headworks, install mechanical grit removal systems, and reconfigure the existing activated sludge tanks to anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic to allow for biological removal of phosphorus and total nitrogen. The project also includes construction of a new blower building, rehabilitation of existing clarifiers, rehabilitation and modification of existing pump stations, and installation of a chemical feed system to be used for backup phosphorus removal. | $25,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
Cook | Metropolitan Water Reclamation District | The District will rehabilitate the North Shore Intercepting Sewer using a combination of cured-in-place pipe lining, segmental lining, and/or slip lining. | $46,337,284 | |
Cook | Metropolitan Water Reclamation District | The District will construct sanitary sewer and one manhole to serve as a relief sewer with no additional flow. The relief sewer will discharge to an existing sanitary sewer which connects to the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. | $6,979,039 | |
DeKalb | Village of Shabbona | The Village will replace watermain, replace existing fire hydrants, and reconnect existing water services along the construction route to improve water quality for the population served. | $950,000 | $475,000 |
Douglas | City of Newman | The City will rehabilitate the 150,000-gallon elevated water storage tower and replace the iron filter media and water diffuser at the City’s water treatment plant. | $463,323 | $226,512 |
Franklin | City of West Frankfort | The City will construct an ultraviolet disinfection system. The improvements will allow the City to improve their collection system infrastructure while providing customers with adequate collection of sewer flows. | $719,022 | $323,560 |
Jo Daviess | Village of Elizabeth | The Village will make improvements to Well No. 1, replace the wellhouse piping and appurtenances, and make SCADA upgrades. The improvements will allow the Village to upgrade/improve the aging system infrastructure and address operational deficiencies while continuing to provide drinking water to customers. | $400,233 | $200,117 |
Montgomery | City of Nokomis | The City will modify the existing treatment plant into an aerated lagoon with aerated rock filters. The project will improve the treatment capabilities of the treatment plant and will successfully serve the City with respect to effluent quality, regulatory compliance, and affordability. | $9,485,250 | $3,693,725 |
Stephenson | Village of Dakota | The Village will replace the lagoon’s aeration system, relocate and replace the effluent flow meter, replace the current influent lift station and control panel, and construct a new entrance roadway and site roadway. | $3,000,000 | $1,748,150 |
Vermilion | City of Hoopeston | The City will make improvements at the water treatment plant. The proposed improvements will allow the City to upgrade/improve aging system infrastructure and address operational deficiencies while continuing to provide drinking water to customers and maintain compliance. | $2,654,918 | $1,327,459 |
Warren | Village of Kirkwood | The Village will drill a new Well No. 8, to replace Well No. 5, and install raw water main from the new well to the treatment plant. The new well will provide redundancy, additional water capacity, and an additional safety factor within the water system. | $1,345,499 | $672,750 |
White | Village of Enfield | The Village will replace approximately 445 water meters and install a radio read system to reduce maintenance needs and increase meter accuracy. | $316,981 | $158,491 |
Will and Kendall | City of Joliet | The City will replace approximately 31 miles of deteriorated and undersized watermains throughout the City. The work also includes replacing fire hydrants and valves along the project route and all restoration work and appurtenances. | $76,484,000 | |
Woodford | Valley View Water Works Association | The Association will connect the watermain between the Caterpillar Trail Public Water District and the Valley View subdivision water distribution system. This project will allow the Association to provide improved water system pressure and flow to the service area, improve the drinking water quality and reliability, provide additional storage to meet current and projected needs, and provide proper fire flow to the area. | $696,970 | $348,485 |
TOTAL | $204,757,797 | $20,653,089 |
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