Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Westchester opens IEPA loan public hearing on multi-year water-main and lead-line replacements
Summary
Village officials opened a public hearing on the Illinois EPA Public Water Supply Loan Program project plan, outlining a phased five-year effort to replace lead service lines (0% loan, 30 years) and water mains (≈1.62% loan, 30 years) with initial projects bid in late 2026.
Westchester officials opened a public hearing on March 10 to review a project plan submitted to the Illinois EPA that would finance multi-year water-main improvements and lead service-line replacements across the village.
Burke Engineering, presenting to the board, said the plan seeks IEPA approval of a multi-project construction schedule that would be valid for five years and allow the village to borrow at program rates: lead-service-line replacement would be offered as a 0% loan amortized over 30 years, while small-community water-main work would qualify for a roughly 1.62% loan for 30 years. The presenter said lead-service-line principal forgiveness may be possible when the EPA finalizes the project plan.
The consultant described the first-year scope as roughly $11.6 million and about 2.5 miles of water-main work, with an aim of completing 7–10 miles of replacement over five years through yearly bidding cycles starting in late 2026 and construction beginning in March 2027. Village public-works staff said Westchester’s system totals about 65 miles of mains, with roughly 28 miles dating to the 1920s (the period that produced lead service lines). Officials noted a statewide deadline and local goals require replacing remaining lead service connections by 2040.
Residents pressed how streets are prioritized and why neighboring communities previously received grants rather than loans. Staff and consultants said earlier ineligibility often stemmed from missing matching funds or the lack of preconstruction planning that grant programs require. Officials cited recent grant awards and matches that improved eligibility: $500,000 from the Illinois DCEO, a prior $200,000 CDBG award and a current $250,000 CDBG allocation targeted to specific water-main segments.
Village staff emphasized that when water mains are replaced under the program the village intends to replace lead service lines into homes at no cost to the resident for the village-paid portion, and that project boundaries typically tie to planned street reconstruction schedules. Burke Engineering reminded listeners that public comments on the draft project plan remain open for 10 days after the hearing before the submission to the IEPA.
The next procedural step is the 10‑day public‑comment period; staff said they will compile responses and proceed to submit the finalized project plan to the IEPA for its project‑plan determination.
