Whitmer Announces Grants For Three U.P. Communities

Gov. Whitmer announced more than $15 million in grants awarded as part of the MI Clean Water plan that will help Michigan communities strengthen drinking water infrastructure and better ensure safe, clean tap water across the state.

Marquette Township, Ishpeming Township, and Calumet are the U.P.’s only recipients.

“We must ensure communities across Michigan have the support they need protect our state’s unparalleled freshwater resources,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “As we celebrate Lake Appreciation Month, we are proud to announce grants under our MI Clean Water Plan that will help local communities invest in their aging water infrastructure and give every family in our state access to safe, clean tap water.”

More than $15 million in funding announced within the last month will assist with overall state efforts to support local projects that improve water systems through work including replacing lead service lines, enhancing water affordability plans and connecting homes with contaminated drinking water wells to safe community water supplies. “These grants are a great example of how EGLE partners with community water systems to safeguard residents’ health and our state’ s water resources by strengthening critical systems,” said Liesl Clark, EGLE director. “More than half of EGLE’s budget flows back to communities to protect the environment and public health through innovative partnerships like those supported under the Mi Clean Water plan.”

The MI Clean Water plan is a historic, $500 million investment announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in October to rebuild the state’s water infrastructure to help provide clean, affordable water to Michiganders through investments in communities.

It confronts the large 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.

This historic investment includes a proposal combining federal dollars for lead service line replacement in low-income communities ($102.1 million) with bonding authority for water quality protection ($290 million), a one-time General Fund appropriation for drinking water infrastructure and innovation ($105 million), and asset management grants ($2.9 million) to help communities develop, update and improve their plans for wastewater and stormwater.

The Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant is available to assist water supplies in asset management plan development or updates, and/or distribution system materials inventory as defined in Michigan’s Lead and Copper Rule.

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.

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.

Recently approved grants awarded through the DWAM, AP, and C2R2 programs:

DWAM Grants

City of West Branch — $412,624

City of Buchanan —$68,370

Village of Kaleva— $172,600

Village of Lakeview — $185,225

City of St. Joseph — $439,765

Village of Spring Lake — $18,000

City of Taylor — $387,150

City of Benton Harbor — $543,024

City of Mt. Morris — $32,170

AP Grants