U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen was in Peoria Heights on Aug. 12 to present a check – or a larger-than-life facsimile, anyway -- of nearly $1 million his office helped secure for the Village for the replacement of an old water main and service lines along Illinois Route 29/Galena Road.
In a press conference at Village Hall, the first-term congressman noted that it doesn’t get any more basic as far as government services go than water infrastructure, which citizens and elected officials alike have stopped taking for grant after the experiences of Flint, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi.
“This is one of the things in Congress that actually works,” Sorensen said. “These are things that are so important.”
Unfortunately, in small communities like Peoria Heights, keeping up with fundamental public infrastructure can be all too cost prohibitive.
“If the federal government helps with water infrastructure, it means the single mom or single dad doesn’t get an increase in their water bill,” said Sorensen.
Indeed, when Peoria Heights residents complete their income tax returns every April, many of them wonder, “Where is it going?” said Sorensen. “Here is an example.”
The money, specifically $959,752, will go a long way toward financing the $2.4 million project, which will coincide with the wholesale reconstruction of Route 29 through a state capital grant totaling nearly $70 million, said Wayne Aldrich, community development director in the Heights. The Village’s water infrastructure is more than 100 years old in places and the Village intends to continue seeking grants to help pay for its modernization, he said.
Mayor Michael Phelan noted the relationships that the Heights has been fortunate to cultivate with its elected representatives in both Washington, D.C. and Springfield and emphasized how this is a very welcome step in the direction of greater equity in the community, as this project will help guarantee a safe and reliable water supply in an older neighborhood that is deservedly getting renewed attention from the Village.