There Are 'Lurking Threats' To South Suburban Water: Rush To EPA

DIXMOOR, IL — U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush asked the Environmental Protection Agency to partner with the state of Illinois to ensure south suburban areas have a reliable source of clean water after a weekslong shortage in Dixmoor left thousands of residents without consistent access.

A spokesperson for Rush's office told Patch the Democrat from Illinois sent the letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Wednesday. In the letter, Rush writes to Regan asking for help on a variety of issues that he says led to the water crisis including inadequate infrastructure and political disagreements.

"The financial straits that many of these south suburban municipalities find themselves in due to structural disadvantages and the COVID-19 pandemic mean that they are simply not in a fiscal place to take on their water issues alone," Rush said. "The lurking threats to these towns' water systems must be addressed — and I call on the state and federal governments to step in to assist these municipalities."

Rush did not suggest exact actions, but said Regan should conduct a study on the water supply and systems in the city's south suburbs to get a "comprehensive understanding" before Illinois receives over a billion dollars for water-based infrastructure through a new recently-passed federal bill.

Under Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed Saturday, the state could get over $1.5 billion to invest in water delivery systems. However, Rush said the amount of money could completely solve water issues in some suburban towns only if used properly.

Rush also referenced contaminated drinking water in Crestwood, which was first discovered in 2009 after a teenage boy in the area got leukemia as a toddler.