Several small towns in central Illinois will get $11 million in state money to build sewer systems or extend existing ones. State officials said the grants come from the Rebuild Illinois capital program.
The Iroquois County village of Buckley east of Bloomington-Normal will receive $5 million for its first sewer system. So will Rutland in LaSalle County. And the City of Streator will get nearly $1 million to add to its sewer system.
Buckley will construct a sanitary sewer, two pump stations, and sanitary sewer force main. It will abandon septic tanks as part of the project. Rutland currently treats sewage in septic tanks as well. Effluent pours into drainage fields and field tiles. The Rutland project will connect 143 customers to a new collection system and treatment plant. The new sanitary sewer system will include two lift stations with stand-by power generators, and an aerated filtered lagoon.
“These grants will provide vital funding to communities that currently do not have the ability to properly and adequately collect and treat wastewater, which can result in negative impacts on the surrounding environment, public health concerns for residents, and a barrier for economic development," said Illinois EPA Director Jon Kim. “These projects demonstrate what is possible when a community has the financial resources needed to address basic human-health needs.”
The money is part of the $21 million second round of grants through the EPA Unsewered Communities Construction Grant Program (UCCGP).
"No community should be forced to function without a high-quality water infrastructure system," said Gov. JB Pritzker. "Thanks to this grant program, residents across the state will reap the benefits of a safe home, clean streets, clean water and clean air.”
Illinois EPA is making $100 million available over five years for the construction of wastewater collection and or treatment facilities. The Unsewered Communities Planning Grant Program (UCPGP) also provides up to $1M annually in smaller grants to help communities develop construction plans for the projects.
The Village of Braceville in Will County, the Village of Lisbon in Kendall County, and the City of Grand Tower in Jackson County also are recipients in this round of funding.
