Judith Ruiz-Branch
Illinois News Connection
Illinois has been working to replace all its lead water pipes but the task is enormous, as it is estimated the state has the most lead service lines in the U.S.
Chicago is a hot spot, with more lead water lines than any other city in the country. A state law passed in 2022 requires them all to be replaced.
Anna-Lisa Gonzales Castle, director of water policy for the nonprofit Elevate, said her organization is among those working to address the issue. It is focusing on the most vulnerable populations, including home-based day care centers, which make up a significant number of the state’s child care providers.
“Lead is a known neurotoxin,” Gonzales Castle pointed out. “It is especially harmful to children and causes developmental challenges but is also dangerous to the health of folks of all ages. And it has no business in our drinking water systems.”
She pointed out Elevate partners with the City of Chicago to provide technical assistance and free lead service line replacement and restoration services for child care centers. Though future funding is a concern under the new administration, she added they are committed to making sure clean water does not become a political issue.
Compared to other states, Illinois got a head start on lead line replacement and the Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden-Harris Administration set a 10-year deadline for states.
Maureen Cunningham, chief strategy officer and director of water for the nonprofit Environmental Policy Innovation Center, said the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided federal dollars for the projects but with funding in jeopardy, it will take communities, utilities and local governments working together to meet the goal.
Cunningham argued it will not be enough to just do corrosion control.
“With recent legislation, the focus is now on replacing the pipes, because replacing lead service lines and replacing all lead in our water systems will significantly reduce — and hopefully even eliminate — the threat of lead in drinking water,” Cunningham emphasized.
Every year the new rule is in effect, she added, experts estimate up to 900,000 infants would be protected from potential lead poisoning from drinking water.
Region: Springfield,Feeds,News,Prairie,Region: Central,City: Springfield
via WMAY – 92.7 WMAY https://www.wmay.com
February 7, 2025 at 07:09PM
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