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Gov. Whitmer Announces Six Communities to Receive Additional Funding to Upgrade Water Infrastructure to Provide Safe Drinking Water

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

December 7, 2021  

EGLE Media Office, EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov, 517-284-9278  

  

Gov. Whitmer Announces Six Communities to Receive Additional Funding to Upgrade Water Infrastructure to Provide Safe Drinking Water

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced that six communities will receive more than $2 million in grants awarded under the umbrella of the MI Clean Water plan that supports 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. "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 an $500 million investment announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year to rebuild the state's water infrastructure to help provide clean, affordable water to Michiganders through investments in communities.    

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.     

The Drinking Water Quality portion of this historic 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).  Gov. Whitmer 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.  All funds have been allocated and EGLE is no longer accepting applications.   

The Affordability and Planning Grant (AP) grant is available to any community water supply and local unit of government, including counties, townships, cities, villages and others to assist in planning and/or rate studies. EGLE is not currently accepting applications.  

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.    

November grants were all awarded through the DWAM grant program.  

Applicant 

Award Amount

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