Governor Gretchen Whitmer awarded more than $2.8 million in grants issued under the Michigan Clean Water Plan.
The plan will help six Michigan communities have access to safe, clean water, reported the state in a news release. Overall, the MI Clean Water Plan includes $500 million worth of funding resources to help local municipalities upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
According to the U.S. EPA, the MI Clean Water Plan will support over 7,500 Michigan jobs.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) awarded the Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grants to six communities:
- City of Southgate: $599,219
- City of Lincoln Park: $562,637
- City of Mount Pleasant: $492,231
- Berlin Township in Monroe County: $489,552
- City of Woodhaven: $418,544
- City of Bad Axe: $260,058
"I am proud to continue investing in Michigan's water infrastructure under my MI Clean Water Plan," said Governor Whitmer in the state news release. "Today's grants will help local communities across Michigan upgrade their water infrastructure, protect systems from toxic contaminants, and boost access to clean water for area residents. The MI Clean Water Plan creates jobs, protects public health, and lowers costs for Michigan families. We will keep getting things done on the issues that matter most to people's lives like clean water, safe roads, great schools, and lower costs."
Berlin Charter Township’s Drinking Water Asset Management grant through the MI Clean Water program will allow the township to enhance its asset management plan and Distribution System Materials Inventory to identify lead service lines, according to Jason Dobson, Water/Sewer Department superintendent of the Berlin Charter Township.
Lincoln Park Mayor Thomas E. Karnes, Woodhaven Mayor Patricia Odette, and Bad Axe city manager Robert Stiverson also echoed these sentiments for the cities of Lincoln Park, Woodhaven, and Bad Axe respectively, as the funding it received will ensure clean drinking water for its residents by improving distribution systems.
