HB2391 amends the Illinois Environmental Protection Act to clarify and expand the authorized uses of treated municipal wastewater from publicly owned treatment works. Under the bill, treated wastewater may be used not only for irrigation, as current law allows, but also for industrial use, so long as the reuse activity is conducted under a permit issued under Section 39(b) of the Act. The measure is framed as a safety and environmental management bill and appears to update the state’s wastewater reuse rules to reflect broader reuse practices.
The bill’s practical effect is to change state environmental law by expressly permitting a new category of reuse activity: industrial use of treated municipal wastewater. It does not create a new permitting program, but it ties the expanded authorization to existing permitting authority under the Environmental Protection Act. The main affected parties are publicly owned treatment works, industrial users, and any entities involved in wastewater reuse projects or permitting oversight by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable. It passed the Illinois House unanimously, 113-0, and later advanced in the Senate by a 57-0 vote, indicating broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition in the available record. The absence of committee transcript debate also suggests the bill was not especially controversial in legislative discussion.
There is little evidence of major contention in the available materials. The only substantive policy issue apparent from the text is whether expanding wastewater reuse to industrial purposes could raise environmental, public health, or regulatory concerns, but no recorded opposition or debate is provided. The bill’s narrow scope and reliance on existing permitting requirements likely helped avoid controversy.
Impact
HB2391 amends Section 12.7 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act to authorize the reuse of treated municipal wastewater from publicly owned treatment works for both irrigation and industrial use, provided the reuse is conducted under a permit issued under Section 39(b). This changes state law by expressly recognizing industrial reuse as a lawful end use and may facilitate wastewater reuse projects, water conservation efforts, and industrial water supply planning under existing environmental permitting oversight.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received overwhelmingly positive treatment in the legislature. It passed the House 113-0 and moved in the Senate 57-0, with no committee transcript indicating significant debate or resistance. The voting record suggests broad bipartisan agreement that the measure is a practical update to Illinois wastewater reuse law.
Contention
No major contention is evident in the available record. The bill’s only potentially sensitive issue is the expansion of treated wastewater reuse from irrigation to industrial use, which could prompt questions about environmental safeguards, public health, and permit oversight. However, the unanimous votes and lack of recorded committee opposition indicate that any such concerns were either minimal or resolved before floor action.