The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced that six communities will receive more than $2 million in grants for work including replacing lead service lines, enhancing water affordability plans, and connecting homes with contaminated drinking water wells to safe community water supplies.
"The MI Clean Water plan grants will help protect access to safe drinking water by directly investing in communities," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. " With the $500 million MI Clean Water plan, we are helping communities replace lead service lines, tackle toxic contaminants like PFAS, repair failing septic systems, lower water rates, and do so much more for their residents."
The MI Clean Water plan is a $500 million investment announced by state officials last year to rebuild the state's water infrastructure to help provide clean, affordable water through investments in communities.
It addresses water infrastructure issues that Mich. Faces, such as lead-laden water service lines, toxic contamination like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), undersized sewers, failing septic systems, unaffordable water rates and constrained local budgets.
The Drinking Water Quality portion of this plan has already been approved and includes federal dollars for lead service line replacement in low-income communities ($102.1 million) and General Fund programs that address PFAS or other contaminants, planning and/or rate studies, asset management plan development and lead service line identification ($105M). The state continues to advocate for the Wastewater Protection program that would be funded through existing bonding authority ($293 million).
More than half of EGLE's budget is funneled to Michigan communities in the form of financial assistance to help address water infrastructure and other environmental- and health-protection efforts.
"We recognize that Michigan communities often struggle to find resources to address the threat of lead in drinking water," said Liesl Clark, EGLE Director. "These problems are decades in the making and will take a coordinated effort of local, state and federal commitments. These grants help move these communities forward in addressing those challenges."
The Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant assists water supplies in asset management plan development or updates, and/or distribution system materials inventory as defined in Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule. These latest grants were all awarded through the DWAM grant program:
- City of Fennville: $260,800
- Village of Howard City: $189,668
- City of Livonia: $425,900
- City of Owosso: $460,021
- City of Manistee: $606,932
- City of Oak Park: $436,347
