Plainfield Granted $430K To Replace Lead Service Lines

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield was granted $437,521 from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to replace lead service lines throughout the village, officials announced.

The funding is in the form of principal forgiveness, which means the village will not have to repay any of the money granted through the agency's State Revolving Fun, which provides low-interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater projects, according to a news release.

Lead service lines are expected to be replaced along Bartlett Avenue and Evans, Amboy and Center streets.

"In the Village's most recent inventory of service lines, the majority of lines were identified as being made of copper, not lead, which is good news for the community," an Illinois EPA official said in a statement.

A toxic metal that can accumulate in the body over time, lead can enter drinking water when pipes or fixtures corrode. Many houses built before 1990 may have lead service lines or lead-containing plumbing fixtures or faucets, according to the Illinois EPA.

"It's about working together pragmatically to enhance our quality of life," Plainfield Mayor John Argoudelis said in a post on Facebook. "I said all along that I don’t really care about [Republican] and [Democrat], I care about getting things done. And together we are! Thanks again to all."

To date, the Illinois agency has provided $122 million in funding for lead service line replacement.