Fehr Graham helps Centralia secure $883,702 grant for infrastructure improvements

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – Fehr Graham, a leading Midwest engineering and environmental firm, helped the City of Centralia secure an $883,702 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to improve its infrastructure. Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $41 million in awards to repair water, sewer and drainage systems in 32 communities.

Centralia will use the money to replace a critical Raw Water Line, preventing potential failures in the water distribution system and addressing residents’ immediate health and safety risks. The project includes constructing a water line to replace the one that repeatedly fails and jeopardizes the City’s ability to provide reliable, safe drinking water.

“Every community in Illinois deserves access to clean drinking water, regardless of where they live,” Pritzker said in a news release. “With the support of our federal partners, communities across the state will receive the resources they need to upgrade their water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure system. These projects will benefit the health and wellness of their residents for years to come.”

CDBG public infrastructure projects help communities make critical repairs to water, sewage and drainage systems. Preference is given to projects in underserved areas, opportunity zones and those with a non-state matching component to drive the maximum investment. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the CDBG program.

“A safe water supply is a key element for any thriving community,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said in a news release. “Community Development Block Grants are the instruments of change that help stabilize neighborhoods that have weathered the storms of neglect, empowering individuals and families with opportunities to flourish. I’m encouraged to see $41 million being awarded to more than 30 Illinois communities to improve their water infrastructure.”

See a full list of recipients here.

About Fehr Graham
Fehr Graham is a premier provider of engineering, environmental and funding solutions for commercial, industrial, institutional and government clients with Midwest office locations in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Fehr Graham is an Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firm, Midwest Top Design Firm and Zweig Group Hot Firm.  For more information, visit fehrgraham.com.