Whitmer Proposes Spending $200 Million To Replace Lead Pipes

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced a $200 million proposed expansion of the MI Clean Water Plan to remove lead service lines across the state and called on the legislature to use federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to improve access to safe drinking water.

The governor also announced a commitment to use every federal, state and local resource available—including $20 million under today’s proposal—to replace 100% of the lead service lines in Benton Harbor in five years. The state will also ensure that all families in Benton Harbor have access to free installation of in-home drinking water filters and lead awareness training during the accelerated water infrastructure upgrade work.  Benton Harbor recently reported a lead exceedance under Michigan’s strict Lead and Copper Rule and stands as a clear example of decades of disinvestment in water infrastructure and the need for further investment across the state to keep Michigan families safe.

“Every Michigander deserves access to safe drinking water and every community deserves lead-free pipes,” said Governor Whitmer. “We must make long-overdue upgrades to our water infrastructure and build on the progress we have made under the MI Clean Water Plan to replace lead pipes, fix sewer systems, and tackle PFAS in our water supply. I will work to get people the help they need right now and make lasting, structural investments in infrastructure to protect public health. I urge leaders in Washington to come together to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act so we can replace lead service lines nationwide, and ensure every parent can give their kid a glass of water at the dinner table with confidence that it’s safe.”

The city of Benton Harbor has approximately 6,000 water service lines, with most consisting of lead or unknown materials. Replacing Benton Harbor’s water service lines is estimated to cost nearly $30 million. Under the existing $500 million MI Clean Water Plan, which sets aside $102 million specifically for lead service line replacement, EGLE will award a $3 million allocation through the State Revolving Fund next month to Benton Harbor. In addition to this investment, earlier this year the State supported the City of Benton Harbor’s efforts to secure a $5.6 million grant from the EPA to start replacing their lead pipes. With today’s $200 million proposed expansion, the city would receive an additional $20 million to replace their lead service lines.

Today’s proposed expansion is comprised of the following two parts:

1. REPLACING MICHIGAN’S LEAD SERVICE LINES: Invest $200 million sent to Michigan under the American Rescue Plan to expand MI Clean Water’s Lead Service Line (LSL) Replacement Program to remove lead pipes across the state, because there is no safe level of lead in drinking water.

1. BENTON HARBOR SUPPORT: Bring together a $20 million investment, technical assistance, and filter distribution to create a support program for Benton Harbor to ensure families can access safe drinking water.

1. REPLACE LEAD SERVICE LINES: A $20 million investment in Benton Harbor to remove 100% of their lead service lines within 5 years.

1. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Support the community’s needs to manage resources and infrastructure projects.