Austin neighbors will benefit from a federal grant that will help replace lead water pipes in over 600 homes. The Department of Water Management is receiving over $22 million in federal funding to support the replacements, announced by Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin.
Lead Pipe Replacement Efforts
The grant is part of a larger effort to address the high concentration of lead water pipes in Chicago, particularly on the West Side. Chicago has the most lead water pipes of any city in the country, with the Austin neighborhood being one of the most affected. According to a WBEZ analysis, 6,747 of Austin’s 18,200 water service lines are confirmed to be lead, and 9,412 are suspected to be lead.
Lead-contaminated drinking water is a major concern, especially for children and women of childbearing age. Lead exposure can cause slowed growth, hearing problems, and lowered IQ in children, while adults can experience reproductive problems, memory problems, and muscle pain. The World Health Organization estimates that lead exposure accounts for 900,000 deaths per year globally.
The $22 million grant comes three weeks after Durbin and Duckworth announced more than $295 million in funding for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to remove lead from drinking water across the state. The grant is afforded through clean drinking water provisions added by Duckworth to the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
