(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Hundreds of people in western suburban Franklin Park may see plumbers at their doorsteps this week as part of an increased campaign to replace lead pipes that bring water into their homes.
Franklin Park is among 200 communities nationwide selected by the Environmental Protection Agency for its “Get the Lead Out” initiative. Among them: Franklin Park, which will receive a portion of the $241 million earmarked for Illinois.
Mayor Barrett Pedersen said he is actively working on replacing lead pipes, but the increased funding means it can be done more quickly.
“Lawmakers in Congress have passed a comprehensive infrastructure bill that includes replacing lead-containing utility lines. This will benefit not only Franklin Park, but many other communities across the country,” Pedersen said.
The bipartisan $108 billion infrastructure bill was signed into law in 2021.
Franklin Park reports there are more than 1,700 homes that have not responded to check whether they have lead pipes. EPA contractors will go door-to-door to survey the area Wednesday through Saturday.
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Photo credit: Jose Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
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