On Tuesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced that six communities will be receiving more than $2 million in grants to upgrade water infrastructure to provide safe drinking water.
Officials say the grants are awarded under an umbrella of the MI Clean Water Plan that support work such as: replacing lead service lines, enhancing water affordability plans, and connecting homes with contaminated drinking water wells to safe community water supplies.
One of those communities was the City of Manistee. They received an award totaling $606,932.
“The MI Clean Water plan grants will help protect access to safe drinking water by directly investing in communities,” said Governor Whitmer. “Today’s grants will invest in communities across Michigan because every Michigander deserves access to safe drinking water. 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 Governor Whitmer last year to rebuild Michigan’s water infrastructure to help provide clean, affordable water to Michiganders through investments in communities.
The plan addresses issues related to water infrastructure that the state faces. This includes: lead-laden water service lines, toxic contamination such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), undersized sewers, failing septic systems, unaffordable water rates and constrained local budgets.
Officials say the Drinking Water Quality portion of the investment was already approved, and includes $102.1 million for lead service line replacement in low-income communities, and General Fund programs that address PFAS or other contaminants, planning and/or rate studies, asset management plan development and lead service line identification ($105 million).
Governor Whitmer continues to advocate for a Wastewater Protection program that would be funded through existing bonding authority ($293 million).
Officials say 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 efforts in environmental and health protection.
“We recognize that Michigan communities often struggle to find resources to address the threat of lead in drinking water,” stated Liesl Clark, Director of EGLE. “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 grant assists water supplies in asset management plan development, updates, or distribution systems inventory as worded in Michigan’s Lead and Copper Rule. Officials say all funds have been allocated and EGLE is no longer accepting applications.
The Affordability and Planning Grant is open to any community water supply and local unit of government, including counties, townships, cities, villages and other to help in planning or rate studies. However, EGLE is currently not accepting applications for this grant.
The Consolidation and Contamination Risk Reduction grant funds projects that remove or reduce PFAS or other contaminants as defined under state or federal drinking water regulations. It also funds efforts to consolidate systems or connect private residential wells to a local municipal system. Currently, EGLE is no longer accepting applications and all funds have been allocated.
Officials say November grants were all awarded through the DWAM grant program.
You can view the full list of award recipients below:
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