State Rep. Beau LaFave on Friday announced the City of Escanaba Public Works Department has qualified for a $389,000 grant to upgrade its water system to improve quality and preserve public health.
“This is great news for residents who rely on Escanaba’s system for what comes out of their home’s water tap,” said LaFave, of Iron Mountain. “Over the past three years, Michigan has learned firsthand about the importance of updated and maintained water infrastructure. This funding will help give us the peace of mind that our water will be cleaner than it already is, without putting an added financial burden on the city or Delta County taxpayers.”
Escanaba is one of 18 municipalities to receive the added funds from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance Division. Communities statewide were asked to submit information to the DEQ, including the needs for necessary equipment, number of lead service lines and ability to quickly make system upgrades.
A total of $9.5 million has been allocated to the first-year program with communities expected to make improvements by the end of the current construction season.
“The DEQ looked at a lot of factors from many cities and I’m pleased Escanaba is one of two U.P. communities to get the added funding,” LaFave said. “We know how important clean water is here, whether we’re fishing on the Great Lakes or giving our children something to drink at lunch. I look forward to watching and hearing about the city of Escanaba making these improvements.”
