Batavia City Council approves funding to replace residential lead-lined pipes

The Batavia City Council on May 1 approved $4 million in bonds to replace residential lead-lined water pipes in homes throughout the city.

The majority of the cost – $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 difference of $15,647.

“We’re going to be asking for $4 million to fund this program,” Alderman Dan Chanzit said. “It’s to remove pipes that go from a house to our water. It’s an opportunity to get those [pipes] fixed.”

The application process for the grant program began in 2021 when the city initially approved the $4 million loan. 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 shoutout to the water department for all the work they did to make this happen,” Alderman Alan Wolff said. “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, Jeremy has been so professional, so streamlined, so friendly, I’ve heard nothing but great things.” Alderman Abby Beck said.

Aldermen also approved a Class H liquor license for Grainology Brewstillery, a new brewery set to open at 131 Flinn St. The class designation is a brewery, winemaking and distillery license.

Owner Michael Read said the 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.

Batavians can expect Grainology to open in September, Read said.