Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
WASHINGTON – Representative Lauren Underwood, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced that she has secured $10,954,800 in Community Project Funding from the recently enacted FY2026 Appropriations bills to support childcare, career training, clean water infrastructure throughout northern Illinois, and more.
“From my very first day in Congress, bringing federal resources home to our community has been a top priority,” Rep. Underwood said. “These investments will have a profound impact on northern Illinois, making a tangible difference in the lives of our families and keeping our community healthy and strong.”
The funding Underwood secured will support the following projects in northern Illinois:
Project Title: Lead-Free Water Project in Aurora, IL
Project Sponsor: City of Aurora
Amount Secured: $1,092,000
Address of Sponsor: 44 E. Downer Place, City of Aurora, IL 60507
Project: This funding will be used to remove and replace all remaining lead water pipes in the City of Aurora, providing safe, potable water for the community. An estimated 120 lead service lines for homes, impacting nearly 400 residents, are expected to be replaced. These pipes pose significant risk to the public and their replacement will ensure clean drinking water, protect public health and safety, and lower costs for the community.
Project Title: Grand Prairie Water Commission Infrastructure Construction for Northern Illinois
Project Sponsor: City of Joliet
Amount Secured: $1,092,000
Address of Sponsor: 150 W Jefferson Street, Joliet, IL 60432
Project: This funding will be used to build a portion of the water main needed to deliver clean drinking water from the Chicago Department of Water Management to communities in the southwest suburbs. The City of Joliet is part of the Grand Prairie Water Commission, a group of six communities, including Channahon, Crest Hill, Joliet, Minooka, Romeoville, and Shorewood, that will use Lake Michigan as an alternative water source.
Project Title: Securing A Sustainable Water Source in Oswego, IL
Project Sponsor: Village of Oswego
Amount Secured: $1,092,000
Address of Sponsor: 100 Parkers Mill, Oswego, IL 60543
Project: This funding will be used to construct water infrastructure upgrades that will allow Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville to store and clean water from Lake Michigan. The communities of Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville have joined the DuPage Water Commission, a group of 30 communities that will use Lake Michigan as an alternative water source.
Project Title: City of Lockport Environmental Infrastructure Program
Project Sponsor: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District
Amount Secured: $1,368,950
Address of Sponsor: 231 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60604
Project: This funding will be used for technical planning, design, and construction to improve wastewater and stormwater management in the City of Lockport. Lockport and the broader Will County region have significant wastewater and water supply treatment, distribution, and infrastructure needs that will be met with funding from this project.
Local infrastructure needs addressed by this project include the Bruce Road & SOS Children Village Utility Improvement Project, which would include the installation of a new lift station to serve the SOS Children Village.
Project Title: Education for Parents Project
Project Sponsor: Northern Illinois University
Amount Secured: $850,000
Address of Sponsor: 1425 W Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL 60115
Priority: This funding will be used to rehabilitate and convert property at Northern Illinois University to upgrade their child care center. The project will help the university hire new staff and make essential upgrades to ensure a safe and healthy environment for kids in the community.
Project Title: Law Enforcement Collaboration to Prevent Workplace Crime in Will County, IL
Project Sponsor: Joliet Township
Amount Secured: $339,000
Address of Sponsor: 175 W Jefferson St. Joliet, IL 60432
Project: This funding will be used by Joliet Township to hire attorneys and project staff to collaborate with local organizations and law enforcement to address worker exploitation across Will County and the surrounding area.
Project Title: Clean Water Project in Oglesby, IL
Project Sponsor: City of Oglesby
Amount Secured: $1,020,800
Address of Sponsor: 110 East Walnut Street, Oglesby, IL 61348
Project: This funding will be used to help replace 2,100 feet of water pipes impacted by lead and/or asbestos-cement in the City of Oglesby. These pipes pose significant risk to the public and their replacement will ensure clean drinking water, protect public health and safety, and lower costs for the community.
Project Title: Bentley Road Pathway Connection
Project Sponsor: Plainfield Park District
Amount Secured: $250,000
Address of Sponsor: 23729 W. Ottawa St., Plainfield, IL 60544
Project: This funding will be used to connect existing trails and create four uninterrupted miles along the DuPage River into a pathway connecting parks, recreation areas, and small businesses in Will County. The pathway will serve as a vital link between trails at Riverside Parkway, Sunset Park, and Hammel Woods along the DuPage River corridor.
Project Title: Reducing Recidivism and Supporting Reentry in Will County, IL
Project Sponsor: Will County Workforce Services Division—LWIA—10
Amount Secured: $600,000
Address of Sponsor: 2400 Glenwood Ave, Joliet, IL 60435
Project: This funding will be used to provide job training to justice impacted individuals, helping them find long-term employment, increasing public safety, and reducing recidivism in Will County. Through work-based training, formerly incarcerated individuals will obtain skills that will help them obtain and keep meaningful employment. Participants will also receive case management to ensure successful completion of the program.
Project Title: Center for Parenting Students
Project Sponsor: Waubonsee Community College
Amount Secured: $450,000
Address of Sponsor: Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Sugar Grove, IL 60554
Project: This funding will be used to repurpose and convert existing space on campus into a new Center for Parenting Students at Waubonsee Community College. The center will provide support for student parents and help them balance their schooling and their childcare needs.
Project Title: Senior Outreach and Care Project
Project Sponsor: White Oak Library District
Amount Secured: $850,000
Address of Sponsor: 201 W. Normantown Rd., Romeoville, IL 60446
Project: This funding will be used for the purchase of a Bookmobile, allowing the library to reach more people in Will County by continuing outreach efforts outside the library’s physical location. Additionally, this funding will support the acquisition of books, computers, and staff for the new Bookmobile.
Project Title: Lockport Township Emergency Shelter
Project Sponsor: Lockport Township
Amount Secured: $1,950,000
Address of Sponsor: 1463 Farrell Road, Lockport, Illinois, 60441
Project: This funding will be used to support and protect the local economy in Fairmont, Lockport, and the surrounding communities in Will County by creating a permanent emergency shelter and regional hub for first responder safety training.
Earlier this month, Underwood announced that she secured an additional $2.5 million in FY2026 community project funding for projects across northern Illinois to support food security in the Illinois Valley, rural health care in Mendota, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in DeKalb.
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