DETROIT, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – It has been a decade since the massive fallout from the Flint water crisis. Now, Michigan leaders are highlighting their progress in removing lead lines from the water system to prevent a repeat of history.
Since 2019, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department has received more than $85 million from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
Hugh McDiarmid, communications manager for the department, said the funds given to Detroit are part of more than $216 million in grants to invest in a safer drinking water system.
“They’re going great guns in Detroit; they’re replacing about 150 (lines) a week,” McDiarmid pointed out. “We also want to illustrate that there’s a lot going on statewide. Every couple of weeks, we announce new grants for water infrastructure improvements in communities large and small, and that includes a lot of lead service line work.”
The funding for Michigan’s water system update includes a $75 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed in 2021 in response to the COVID crisis.
McDiarmid noted the statewide distribution of the water system funding is a competitive process but they do try to maintain equity when allocating the money.
“It’s generally based on need,” McDiarmid explained. “There’s a lot of need out there. So, we have to sort of prioritize and triage where these funds go. We wish we could fund everybody, but we can’t.”
McDiarmid added they’re also working with a $290 million expansion of the MI Clean Water Plan, established in 2019 to help communities across the state ensure safer, cleaner and more affordable drinking water.
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