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DeKalb approves daylighting contracts and moves to pursue $3.1M IEPA loan for lead line replacement work
Summary
Council authorized hydro-vac daylighting and engineering contracts to inventory service lines ahead of an IEPA principal-forgiveness application and approved a city ordinance to borrow up to $3.1 million from the IEPA public water supply loan program.
The DeKalb City Council approved professional service agreements for daylighting water service lines and authorized staff to apply for an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) public water supply loan of up to $3.1 million to support lead service line replacement.
By roll call the council approved resolution 2025-019, authorizing contracts with Badger HydroVac to “daylight” service lines and with Engineering Enterprises, Inc. (EEI) for associated design engineering in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50,000. City staff said the daylighting work is needed to positively identify service-line materials so the city can complete an IEPA application for principal forgiveness; staff described about 171 service-line locations still listed as “question marks” in the inventory and said some of those are likely lead or galvanized lines that must be replaced.
Separately, the council passed first-reading ordinance 2025-008 and waived second reading to authorize borrowing through the IEPA public water supply loan program in an amount not to exceed $3,100,000. City staff explained that principal forgiveness under the IEPA program is contingent on completing the service-line inventory and submitting the application by the program deadline (staff cited early summer scheduling and a June 30 application window). The city manager said the municipality has already dedicated significant ARPA funds toward lead-line replacement and that, if awarded, IEPA funds would reduce the time needed to finish replacements.
City staff described the daylighting process—hydro-vac excavation guided by sounding equipment to safely expose the service connection—and estimated Badger HydroVac’s work at approximately $45,000 and EEI’s engineering at about $5,000. Council members praised the water department and staff for completing much of the inventory work and noted that, with funding, the city could eliminate the remaining lead service lines within a couple of years.
Council votes: resolution 2025-019 (daylighting contracts) passed by roll call; ordinance 2025-008 (IEPA loan authorization) passed on first reading and the council moved to waive second reading at the same meeting.
