water
Southern Illinois knows the value of stewardship; Springfield must act before it’s too late
By DALE SHUMAKER President, Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts • In Southern Illinois, conservation is not an abstract policy debate. It is the creek that floods after heavy rain. It is the field losing topsoil after severe weather. It is the family farm trying to remain productive for another generation. It is…
Read MoreIllinois EPA issues statement on Trump Administration’s rollback of PFAS Requirements for drinking water
State Drinking Water Standards Remain in Place for PFAS By Tribune Staff • Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s (Illinois EPA) Director James Jennings issued a statement following the U.S. EPA’s announcement to roll back protective national drinking water standards for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in community water supplies (CWS). “Illinois EPA has been working to…
Read MoreSouthern Illinois Conservation leader warns state cannot afford to ignore longstanding soil, water funding crisis
By Tribune Staff • As Illinois lawmakers enter the final weeks of budget negotiations before the May 31 deadline, Southern Illinois conservation leader Dale Shumaker is urging state leaders to reach a bipartisan solution that fully supports Illinois’ Soil and Water Conservation Districts before more local conservation capacity is lost. Shumaker, President of the Association…
Read MoreTroy’s water, sewer rates to rise May 1
By Charles Bolinger Editor • Troy’s water and sewer rates are slated to go up on May 1, regardless of which sewer treatment plant option the city council chooses later in May. The city has been raising these rates since May 2023. The new in-city water rates will be: $18.61 for the first 2,000 gallons used…
Read MoreCity of East St. Louis consents to Clean Water Act violations, agrees to implement actions to address unlawful discharges of untreated sewage
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Illinois reached an interim agreement with the City of East St. Louis, Illinois to address the City’s Clean Water Act violations. In December 2024, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section filed a complaint…
Read MoreIllinois EPA announces $1.5 Million in funding available for energy efficiency upgrades at public water supply facilities
By Tribune Staff• SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s (Illinois EPA) Office of Energy is offering up to $1,500,000 in grant funding available to support energy efficiency projects at publicly owned public water supply (PWS) facilities, commonly referred to as drinking water treatment plants (DWTP). Awarded projects will range from $50,000 to $500,000 with…
Read MoreBudzinski delivers $1.1 million for new water treatment facility in Glen Carbon
By Tribune Staff • GLEN CARBON — On Jan. 27, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) presented the Village of Glen Carbon with a check for $1.1 million in new federal funding to support the construction of a new municipally-owned water treatment facility. The facility, which will be capable of processing up to three million gallons of…
Read MoreMaryville prepares to be proactive about PFAS in village water
By Kathy Turner • On an almost daily basis we hear of communities that are dealing with PFAS in their water systems. PFAS is an acronym for (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that have found their way into groundwater and water systems as the result of waste disposal. These substances come from everyday items such as…
Read MoreMarine approves new garbage, water rate increases
By Stephanie Malench • Marine’s Village Board met on June 18 and started with the swearing in of Russ Kasting, who will fill a two-year term left empty when Darren Apken won the Mayoral Election on April 1. Kasting will serve on the ordinance committee. There were no public comments. Starting with the July billing…
Read MoreTroy sewer, water rates to rise on May 1
By Charles Bolinger Editor Residents in Troy and those who live outside city limits but use the city’s water and sewer services will all see rate hikes starting next month. City Administrator Jay Keeven indicated on April 21 that the city provides water to residents with the financial goal of “breaking even.” “Water production and…
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