Batavia council approves plan to replace lead-lined water pipes
The Batavia City Council has approved a $4 million plan to replace residential lead-lined water pipes in homes throughout the city.
Most of the cost, about $3,984,353, will be paid for through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's "Get The Lead Out" grant program. The city is expected to fund the remaining $15,647.
"It's to remove pipes that go from a house to our water," Alderman Dan Chanzit said. "It's an opportunity to get those (pipes) fixed."
The application process for the grant program began in 2021, when the city initially approved a $4 bond issue. The agreement with the IEPA was received in January, according to meeting documents.
"We were lucky to be part of the beginning of the program, so this is a great deal for the city," Chanzit said.
Through a series of surveys and other outreach, the city water department was able to identify more than 750 lines in need of replacement.
"I'd just like to give a shout out to the water department for all the work they did to make this happen," said Alderman Alan Wolff. "This is not an easy process to come up with $4 million to do that."'
"As a resident affected by this, getting to sit through the process that the water department and (Superintendent) Jeremy Barkei went through to get the information from us, and to go back and forth and their public forum that they held," Alderman Abby Beck said. "Jeremy has been so professional, so streamlined, so friendly, I've heard nothing but great things."
Aldermen also approved a Class H liquor license for Grainology Brewstillery, a new brewery set to open on 131 Flinn St. The class designation is a brewery, winemaking and distillery license.
Owner Michael Read said that brewery has a "grain to glass, field to fork" philosophy.
"We're all about doing new things with classic styles of beer and distilling different grains, primarily in the whiskey realm, as well as vodkas and gins," Read said.
Grainology is expected to open to the public in September, according to Read.