Oct. 27, 2014 -- Earlier this month, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced 115 applicants selected to receive grants totaling $91 million from the Stormwater, Asset Management, and Wastewater (SAW) program, which protects the state's water quality by helping municipalities plan for sewer system maintenance.
The SAW program provides grant assistance for developing stormwater and wastewater project planning and design, asset management plans for wastewater and stormwater systems, stormwater management planning, and testing and demonstration of innovative technology.
This is the second round of SAW grant awards and is further progress toward funding the complete list of 579 grant applicants. This most recent achievement now brings the total number of SAW grant applicants to be awarded funding to 207 and the total dollar amount of funding awarded to approximately $170 million.
Municipalities that sought SAW grants applied to the DEQ by Dec. 2, 2013, and approved applications were posted in their funding order per a lottery process in March 2014. No new applications are being accepted by the DEQ, as the total dollar amount of the approved SAW applications exceeds the total $450 million available for the SAW program.
In order to fund the SAW grants, the Michigan Department of Treasury will issue general obligation debt as authorized in the Great Lakes Water Quality Bond. The SAW program was signed into law on Jan. 2, 2013, and operates alongside the established State Revolving Fund and Strategic Water Quality Initiatives Fund loan programs, as well as the S2 Grant Program, to support water pollution control efforts in Michigan.
See also:
"MI University Research Corridor helps protect, advance state's water resources"
"Michigan receives $1.7M in economic recovery funds to improve water quality"
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