PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. – Federal money will help fund improvements to the water system in Peoria Heights.
17th District Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-Moline) visited the village on Monday to announce more than $959,000 to go toward replacing water distribution and raw water collection lines on Illinois Route 29 between Galena Road and Gardner Lane.
Peoria Heights Director of Community Development Wayne Aldrich says the ones in the ground now are well past their lifespan.
“They’re old iron lines, which we’ll probably replace with PVC, more modern materials and less susceptible to corrosion, things like that,” Aldrich said. “And also looking at the size of the lines and make sure the capacity is right.”
Sorensen says the project will help bring clean, safe drinking water to the village, and also helps prevent situations similar to ones in Flint, MI and Jackson, MS, where lead seeped into drinking water from older, aging pipes.
“When you’re a parent, you have to have 100% trust in what you’re doing for the betterment of your kids,” Sorensen said. “And we have too many parents today that are concerned about these things. They’re concerned about the lead that’s in the water.”
Sorensen says his district has some of the highest concentrations of lead pipes in the country, and stressed the need to replace the pipes in small villages, such as Peoria Heights, as well as larger cities.
He says the funding also shows the importance of thinking about including water systems in infrastructure improvements, and not just road construction projects.
The project has an estimated price tag of $2.4 million, but is not expected to start for a few years. Village leaders say they’re planning to coordinate the work with the construction of repairs on Illinois Route 29.
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