A new water well in the Upper Peninsula and grants to assist 28 communities with planning for water system upgrades including lead service line replacements are among $12.6 million in state grants recently awarded to Michigan cities, villages, and townships to protect public health and Michigan’s water resources and the City of Galesburg and Village of Augusta are among the recipients.
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.
The City of Galesburg was awarded a $600,000 grant and the Village of Augusta was awarded a $404,600 grant according to EGLE.
Both municipalities 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. This project includes applicable 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.
Jeff Heppler, of the Village of Augusta, said the Village replaced a significant number of lead water lines with new lines last year as part of a $2 million grant.
Heppler said under old state guidelines, the Village was responsible for the water main to the curb box, however the State now requires the Village is responsible from the water meter on the house, to the curb box and out to the water main.
The grant will allow the village and a contractor assisting with the project to identify whether the service line is copper, galvanized or lead. He said there are approximately 350 water service lines in the Village.
Heppler said the $404,600 grant will allow the Village to identify or verify lead service lines in preparation for replacement at the remaining 280 water service hook up locations in the village after the Village performed a similar service last year that was part of another grant.
He said a $1.4 million grant the Village of Augusta received last year combined with a $500,000 match by the Village for a water main project, allowed the Village to install new eight-inch water mains, new hydrants and new water service lines up to approximately 70 homes on the south side of the Village.
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.”
City of Galesburg Mayor Linda Marble said in addition to identifying or verifying lead service lines in preparation for replacement, the grant also provides public education through mailings to the community explaining potholing (a process used to identifying lead service lines) and what residents should do if they are identified as having lead service.
She adds there is not match for the City, offering a very good opportunity for the City.
“This grant is very exciting for the City since lead service identification is not only mandatory but important for the City’s water customers to be informed,” said Marble.
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.
Washington Street Bridge Will Be Replaced
The Village of Augusta will replace the Washington Street bridge over the canal later this year as part of a $1 million project according to Jeff Heppler of the Village of Augusta. Heppler said Davis Construction is the contractor performing the bridge replacement work. The bridge was built in 1909 as a one-lane bridge. There currently is a 5-ton weight limit. Heppler said the Village secured the grant for the bridge replacement about four years ago.
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.
The City of Galesburg was awarded a $600,000 grant and the Village of Augusta was awarded a $404,600 grant according to EGLE.
Both municipalities 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. This project includes applicable 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.
Jeff Heppler, of the Village of Augusta, said the Village replaced a significant number of lead water lines with new lines last year as part of a $2 million grant.
Heppler said under old state guidelines, the Village was responsible for the water main to the curb box, however the State now requires the Village is responsible from the water meter on the house, to the curb box and out to the water main.
The grant will allow the village and a contractor assisting with the project to identify whether the service line is copper, galvanized or lead. He said there are approximately 350 water service lines in the Village.
Heppler said the $404,600 grant will allow the Village to identify or verify lead service lines in preparation for replacement at the remaining 280 water service hook up locations in the village after the Village performed a similar service last year that was part of another grant.
He said a $1.4 million grant the Village of Augusta received last year combined with a $500,000 match by the Village for a water main project, allowed the Village to install new eight-inch water mains, new hydrants and new water service lines up to approximately 70 homes on the south side of the Village.
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.”
City of Galesburg Mayor Linda Marble said in addition to identifying or verifying lead service lines in preparation for replacement, the grant also provides public education through mailings to the community explaining potholing (a process used to identifying lead service lines) and what residents should do if they are identified as having lead service.
She adds there is not match for the City, offering a very good opportunity for the City.
“This grant is very exciting for the City since lead service identification is not only mandatory but important for the City’s water customers to be informed,” said Marble.
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.
Washington Street Bridge Will Be Replaced
The Village of Augusta will replace the Washington Street bridge over the canal later this year as part of a $1 million project according to Jeff Heppler of the Village of Augusta. Heppler said Davis Construction is the contractor performing the bridge replacement work. The bridge was built in 1909 as a one-lane bridge. There currently is a 5-ton weight limit. Heppler said the Village secured the grant for the bridge replacement about four years ago.
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