Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) Grant Program

The Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) Grant Program is administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA). The purpose of the program is to support local government units in Illinois in completing comprehensive lead service line inventories in compliance with Section 17.12 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. This inventory is a critical step toward identifying and mitigating lead exposure risks in community water supplies across the state. The program aligns with federal and state public health priorities aimed at reducing lead contamination in drinking water systems. The program offers grant funding between $20,000 and $50,000 to eligible local government units, depending on the number of service connections within their community water supply (CWS). Specifically, grants are structured to provide $50,000 for systems with more than 5,000 connections, $40,000 for 1,000 to 4,999 connections, $30,000 for 100 to 999 connections, and $20,000 for fewer than 100 connections. The total program funding available is $6,570,000, sourced from federal funds via the 2022 BIL-Lead grant. Grants are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. The funding covers third-party contracts to perform inventory activities but explicitly excludes costs such as applicant staff salaries, lead service line replacement, and unrelated project planning or construction. Eligible applicants include local government units within Illinois with a median household income (MHI) below 120% of the state average. Ineligible applicants include private homeowners, business owners, and entities not meeting state registration and qualification standards such as System for Award Management (SAM) registration and compliance with the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA). Applications must include specific documentation, including a uniform application for state grant assistance, a grant budget template, project summary, programmatic risk assessment questionnaire, certifications and assurances form, conflict of interest disclosure, and executive compensation data form. Additionally, applicants must pre-qualify through the GATA portal. Applications are accepted continuously until program funds are expended. There is no specific close date or pre-application deadline, and the grant is not offered on a rolling basis. The evaluation process ensures completeness, technical merit, and adherence to eligibility requirements. Applications meeting all criteria are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Notification of award status is provided within approximately 21 days of submission, with further communications occurring within 30 to 60 days post-application. Contact information for the program includes Lanina Clark (Lanina.Clark@illinois.gov, 217-782-2027) for general inquiries and the Illinois EPA’s Fiscal Services for questions related to fiscal requirements. The Illinois EPA provides detailed reporting requirements for grantees, including quarterly progress reports, annual financial reports, and a final project report documenting inventory completion. Resources, templates, and additional information are available on the Illinois EPA Lead Service Line Inventory Grant Opportunity webpage. The agency reserves the right not to award any grants as a result of this funding opportunity.

Applications are funded on a first-come, first-served basis; ensure completeness and adherence to eligibility criteria.