Aurora seeks $3.03 million in forgivable IEPA funds for lead service line replacements

Aurora’s Finance Committee on Aug. 29 approved an ordinance to authorize submission of an application for Illinois EPA lead service line replacement funding after staff said the city was awarded just over $3,000,000 in loan forgiveness.

John Hoffman of the Engineering Division told the committee the IEPA’s program this year shifted ranking to the census‑tract level. To avoid missing the cutoff, staff targeted the city’s three highest‑ranking tracts when applying in March. Hoffman said the IEPA award functions like a grant — the loan forgiveness means the city will not be required to repay the funds — and that the city intends to put out bidding documents in the coming months to complete roughly 300 to 350 additional replacements above normal operations.

The committee pressed staff to clarify language in the ordinance packet after the subject line referred to a "low‑interest loan," while supporting materials used the term "forgivable loan." Hoffman said IEPA paperwork uses consistent loan language even where forgiveness applies, and staff agreed to adjust the packet wording to make the forgiveness explicit.

Alderman DeDell asked whether being selected for replacement implied a water‑quality problem in the chosen tracts. Hoffman said selection was based strictly on IEPA ranking criteria and not an indicator of present water‑quality issues in the neighborhoods chosen.

The committee voted to approve the ordinance authorizing the submission and related steps to advance the grant/forgivable‑loan process, 5–0. Staff said Aurora will continue to apply annually while the program is available under a five‑year project plan.

What’s next: Staff will finalize the ordinance language to note forgiveness explicitly, prepare bidding documents, and return to the council as required when detailed contracts and bid awards are ready.