EGLE announces $27.1 million in MI Clean Water grants to help Michigan communities upgrade water infrastructure, protect health, environment

Sanitary and storm sewer upgrades in Escanaba, a new drinking water well in Haring Township, and investigations of lead service line locations in eight communities are among $27.1 million in state grants recently awarded to Michigan cities, villages, and townships to protect public health and Michigan’s water resources.

The MI Clean Water Plan grants through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), and support from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) aim to help communities upgrade aging infrastructure, ensure healthy drinking water, and protect Michigan’s environment.

Seventy percent of Michiganders are served by more than 1,000 community wastewater systems and a similar percentage get drinking water from community water systems. Those systems often struggle to find resources to address legacy issues like aging drinking water and storm water facilities and emerging challenges like new standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals.”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Legislature, and federal agencies have ramped up funding for aging water infrastructure – a critical move to help ensure those water systems continue to protect public health and the environment, including Michigan’s unmatched freshwater resources.

More than half of EGLE’s budget has traditionally passed through to Michigan cities, towns, villages, and other local government agencies to finance critical improvements that help them better protect residents and our natural resources.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer this assistance to so many Michigan communities striving to maintain aging water infrastructure while also keeping customer water rates in check,” said Phil Roos, EGLE director. “Everyone deserves clean drinking water and healthy rivers and lakes. These grants help communities meet those needs for current and future generations.”

Grant roundup

Grants through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund

• City of Escanaba for $18,930,000.  This project includes collection system improvements in the City of Escanaba. Approximately 5,215 linear feet of sanitary sewer and 16 manholes will be replaced. An additional 2,285 linear feet of sanitary sewer lining, and 29 manhole lining replacements will also take place throughout the city. Approximately 2,808 linear feet of storm sewer and 30 manholes will also be replaced. The Ludington Street roof drains will also be disconnected. A new Ludington Street Lift Station will be constructed and will replace the existing Ludington Street and City Hall lift stations.

Grants via Emerging Contaminants in Small/Disadvantaged Communities Program

• Haring Charter Township for $3,000,000 to address PFAS.  The project includes construction of a new well. The drilling of the new well includes the well, a well house with treatment equipment, a meter, well controls, electrical power, and watermain necessary to connect the new well to the existing water system. Prior to constructing this new well, a hydrogeological study will ensure the well is protected from any nearby contaminants.  Water system extension to areas impacted by PFAS is the second phase of this project. Following connection to the system, all private wells will be properly abandoned. Onsite piping will be included as part of providing service to the proposed areas under this program.

Technical, Managerial, and Financial grants:

Eight water systems received grants for work in identifying or verifying lead service lines in preparation for replacement. The process to accomplish this effort includes hydrovacing on either side of each curb stop and performing in-building investigation to document service line materials. These projects include restoration to original condition of hydrovaced locations. Hydrovacing involves a piece of equipment using high-pressure water to cut and liquefy the soil, while simultaneously using a high-volume vacuum to remove the soil from the excavation.

The recipients and their respective amounts:

• Adams Township: $121,790
• City of Dowagiac: $600,000
• City of Grosse Pointe: $598,941
• Saugatuck Township: $258,000
• Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority: $599,650
• City of Grosse Pointe Park: $600,000
• City of Allegan: $600,000
• Village of Vicksburg: $600,000
• City of Ionia: $600,000
• City of Westland: $600,000

Descriptions of funding sources

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: Low-interest loan program to help public water systems finance the costs of replacement and repair of drinking water infrastructure to protect public health and achieve or maintain compliance with federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. The DWSRF provides loans to water systems for eligible infrastructure projects. As water systems repay their loans, the repayments and interest flow back into the DWSRF to support new loans. ARPA funding operates as a grant and may be used in combination with loan dollars to reduce the financial burden on communities to pay for capital improvement debt.

• ARPA funded grants awarded this fiscal year: $218,398,719.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund: Used by local municipalities to finance construction of water pollution control projects. These projects include wastewater treatment plant upgrades and expansions, combined or sanitary sewer overflow abatement, new sewers designed to reduce existing sources of pollution, and other publicly owned wastewater treatment efforts that improve water quality. The CWSRF can also finance storm water infrastructure projects to reduce nonpoint sources of water pollution caused by things like agricultural runoff to lakes, streams, and wetlands. As with the DWSRF, ARPA funds can be used in conjunction with CWSRF loan dollars, thereby reducing the debt communities pay for infrastructure improvements.

• ARPA-funded grants awarded this fiscal year: $137,982,009.

Drinking Water Asset Management Program: Provides grant funding to assist drinking water suppliers with asset management plan development and updates, and/or distribution system materials inventories as defined in Michigan’s revised Lead and Copper Rule.

• Awarded this fiscal year: $19,695,817.

Consolidation and Contamination Risk Reduction Program: Established to aid drinking water systems to help remove or reduce PFAS or other contaminants.

• Awarded this fiscal year: $20,336,215.

Substantial Public Health Risk Project Program: Protects public and environmental health by removing direct and continuous discharges of wastewater from surface water or groundwater.

• Awarded this fiscal year: $8,000,000.

Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program: Provides states and territories with grants to public water systems in small or disadvantaged communities to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS.

Technical, Managerial, and Financial Grants: Funds for work related to the physical verification of service lines at properties where lead is suspected but not confirmed or where service line material is unknown but likely contains lead.

Affordability and Planning Grants: These grants are designed to assist communities in planning and affording water infrastructure improvements including lead service line replacements.

Additional Background 

• Since January 2019 the State of Michigan has invested over $4 billion to upgrade drinking water, storm water, and wastewater facilities across the state, supporting over 57,000 jobs.
• In 2022, Governor Whitmer signed a package of bills to help communities access funding for water infrastructure.