Michigan officials have awarded nearly $5 million in grants under the umbrella of the MI Clean Water plan to 11 Michigan cities, villages, and townships. The funds will help local water suppliers to ensure safe, clean tap water for residents and to reduce the risks associated with lead in drinking water.
"Investing in water infrastructure creates tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, protects access to safe drinking water for communities, and drives down costs for families," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "The MI Clean Water plan helps us put Michiganders first, and we should continue building on it to replace lead service lines statewide, tackle toxic contaminants, and cut utility costs for families."
The Mi Clean Water plan is an $500 million investment to rebuild the state's water infrastructure to provide clean, affordable water to citizens through investments in communities. Issued through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the grants support work including replacing lead service lines, enhancing water affordability plans, and connecting homes with contaminated drinking water wells to safe community water supplies.
It addresses water infrastructure issues that Michigan 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.
"Michigan continues to be committed to helping communities address longstanding water infrastructure deficits," said Liesl Clark, EGLE director. "With more federal support on the way for work like removing lead service lines and other pressing needs, we're pleased to complement those efforts with these innovative grant programs that have been assisting local water systems."
The Drinking Water Quality portion of this investment 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 governor continues to advocate for the Wastewater Protection program that would be funded through existing bonding authority ($290 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.
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. All funds have been allocated and EGLE is no longer accepting applications.
Recent grants awarded under the DWAM grant program:
- Oakland County: $456,600
- Rochester Hills: $707,180
- Auburn: $229,301
- St. Clair: $210,142
- Roscommon: $183,719
- Brighton: $218,564
- Wyandotte: $98,800
- Norway: $371,296
- Brownstown: $588,369
The Consolidation and Contamination Risk Reduction (C2R2) grant funds projects that remove or reduce PFAS or other contaminants, as defined under state or federal drinking water regulations, or efforts to consolidate systems or connect private residential wells to a local municipal system. All funds have been allocated and EGLE is no longer accepting applications.
Recent grants awarded under the C2R2 grant program:
- Garfield: $1,224,140
- Wyandotte: $674,490
