NEWS RELEASE
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
1021 North Grand Avenue East, P.O. Box 19276
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276
Phone: 217/782-3397
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2020
Illinois EPA Invests Over $80.9 Million in Wastewater and Drinking Water Projects in First Quarter of FY21
$3.77 Million in Principal Forgiveness Granted to Loan Recipients
SPRINGFIELD – In the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 (July – September), the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued more than $80 million in State Revolving Fund loans to local governments and sanitary districts. Over $3 million of those loan recipients qualify for principal forgiveness, providing additional benefits to the recipients. These low-interest loans are made possible through Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund, which provides funding for wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water projects.
“Illinois EPA continues our commitment to provide needed financial assistance to communities and water utilities to repair and improve outdated or irreparable infrastructure,” said Director John Kim. “We are also seeing greater interest in lead service line replacement projects, and we encourage communities to take advantage of the increased available funding.”
Two of the first quarter loans were approved for Lead Service Line replacement projects. Those loans will help the affected communities reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. Both recipients qualified for 100% principal forgiveness.
Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund includes two loan programs, the Water Pollution Control Loan Program (WPCLP) which funds both wastewater and stormwater projects, and the Public Water Supply Loan Program (PWSLP) for drinking water projects. Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund receives federal capitalization funding annually, which is combined with state matching funds, interest earnings, repayment money, and the sale of bonds, to form the source of financing for these infrastructure projects. The state matching funds for 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 FY21 first quarter loan recipients is attached. A list of approved FY21 Loan Recipients is available at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/grants-loans/state-revolving-fund/Documents/FY21SRFLoans.pdf. For more information about Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund, visit https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/grants-loans/state-revolving-fund/Pages/default.aspx.
| July – September 2020 Loans | Description | Loan Amount | Principal Forgiveness |
| City of Assumption Christian County | The City will install a system for nitrate removal, a phosphate feed system, replace all active water meters, and replace undersized water main. | $877,249.03 | $877,249.03* |
| City of Chicago Cook County | Part of a multi-year sewer rehabilitation program, the City will install 19,800 lineal feet of sewer main throughout the City. | $15,206,871.93 | |
| City of Chicago Cook County | Part of a multi-year sewer rehabilitation, the City will line 250,000 lineal feet of sewers with cured-in-place resin. | $54,100,000.00 | |
| Village of Bensenville DuPage & Cook Counties | Funds will be used to replace the existing White Pines Area water distribution system. | $6,489,349.29 | $400,000.00 |
| Village of Bensenville DuPage & Cook Counties | The Village will replace approximately 40 lead service lines in the White Pines area. | $559,000.78 | $559,000.78 |
| North Shore Water Reclamation District Lake County | The District will add a thermal oil heater to the sludge recycling facility. | $1,789,110.00 | |
| City of Abingdon Knox County | The City will replace lead service lines at ~550 residences. | $1,936,714.00 | $1,936,714.00 |
| TOTALS | $80,958,295.00 | $3,772,963.81 |
