Last year when the Midland dams gave way, more than 21 billion gallons of water rushed into the Tittabawassee River. More than three and a quarter billion gallons of that ended up in the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/wetlands-property-damage-save-lives-floods/
By Elena Bruess, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/treaty-rights-line-5-oil-pipelines-controversial-history/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/pfas-news-roundup-indiana-introduces-pfas-bills-michigan-citizens-unhappy-about-8-month-disclosure-delay/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
A boil water advisory announced Thursday for the town of Eaton has been lifted after the issue was repaired and testing showed the water was safe, the town announced Saturday night.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/drinking-water-great-lakes-lead-schools-minnesota-water-exhibit-wisconsin/
By Elena Bruess, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/canadian-government-water-insecurity-first-nations-communities/
By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/university-michigan-discovery-lake-erie-dead-zone/
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Biden administration said Wednesday it was delaying the effective date of a policy intended to prevent lead pollution of drinking water, continuing a decades-old debate over how to remove a serious health hazard to children.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it was suspending a regulatory rewrite completed by the Trump administration in December, which is being challenged in court by numerous states and advocacy groups.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-biden-epa-trump-rule-lead-drinking-water/
Deep below the cold, dark surface of Lake Superior, sensors strung like pearls along a vertical steel cable sway with the currents. Recording the lake’s dropping temperatures as winter sets in, their gentle rhythm belies their worrying readings: the lake is getting warmer.
Jay Austin heaved several of these science experiments off a boat last fall – tossing concrete blocks into the deep water to anchor the cable of sensors stretching down from floating platforms just below the surface.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/lake-superior-researchers-impact-warming-winters/
DETROIT (AP) — Lawyers who negotiated a $641 million settlement for victims of Flint’s lead-contaminated water are asking a judge to set aside up to 32% for fees and expenses for years of work on the case.
If granted, the request would total $202 million in fees and $7 million in expenses for dozens of attorneys who made a deal with the state of Michigan, Flint, a hospital and an engineering firm, according to a court filing Monday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-lawyers-32-percent-641m-flint-tainted-water-settlement/
As climate change complicates Lake Erie’s algae problem, scientists say farmers must do far more to reduce phosphorus runoff. But will enough farmers change their ways without a government mandate?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/farmers-pollution-lake-erie-regulations/
LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — The city of La Crosse filed a lawsuit Thursday against a host of chemical manufacturers that produced firefighting foam linked to groundwater contamination around the city’s airport.
Tests have revealed at least 40 wells around the airport on French Island are contaminated with man-made chemicals known as PFAS.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-la-crosse-sues-foam-makers-pfas-pollution/
With warming temperatures, fluctuating water levels and a series of extreme storms, Lake Superior is undergoing dramatic alterations amid climate change.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/michigan-regulations-septic-system-codes-property-rights/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
More Illinois Residents Are Turning to Lake Michigan for Their Drinking Water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/drinking-water-climate-change-withdrawals-michigan-quebec-first-nations/
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Some residents in southwestern Michigan and the Detroit area will get plumbing repairs in their homes as part of a new initiative to reduce water waste.
Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said the “Water Leak Pilot” program is expected to highlight the benefits of reducing water waste for consumers, water suppliers and the overall community.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-pilot-michigan-program-reduce-water-waste-homes/
The years-long saga surrounding Nestlé and its Michigan groundwater withdrawals comes to an end – in a way – as Nestlé withdraws from the situation, selling its North American water brands to another corporation.
Nestlé announced this week that it unloaded a number of U.S. and Canadian brands, including Poland Spring Brand 100% Natural Spring Water, Ice Mountain Brand 100% Natural Spring Water and Pure Life.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/nestle-north-america-bottled-water-brands-sold-investment-firm/
Salt-speckled sidewalks, driveways and highways are synonymous with winter in the Great Lakes region. But while road salt is highly effective at deicing surfaces, the safety that salt provides for humans places a heavy burden on freshwater ecosystems.
“We have an unhealthy addiction to road salt,” said Claire Oswald, a hydrologist and associate professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/road-salt-reducing-usage-great-lakes-freshwater-ecosystem/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
A series of water main breaks in Joliet this week prompted a boil water order in case of cross contamination during repairs.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/drinking-water-waukesha-lake-michigan-groundwater-contamination-ontario/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-minnesota-biden-epa-regulations/
Stephanie Smith, Freshwater Future’s Board Chair, talks about her recent collaborative work with scientists and groups in the African Great Lakes region. (Photo: Stephanie pictured with her family at Murchison Falls in Uganda.)
I looked out at the expanse of 90+ scientists from 17 different countries, most located around the seven African Great Lakes. They were seated around tables as relative strangers. I knew that once I asked my question, I couldn’t predict the range of responses, but I asked it anyway. “If we’re successful with this transboundary collaboration across the African Great Lakes region, what will the news headlines say in 5 years?”
I think a lot about big questions related to water. There’s an expression that says: “Water is life.” This is true, and water is also my life. After 17 years working on the North American Great Lakes, I now work as a global consultant facilitating collaboration for the health of people and the planet. My work emphasizes equity and justice that results in clean, accessible, affordable water and mitigates climate change impacts. I maintain my Great Lakes roots by serving on Freshwater Future’s board of directors.
For this event, I was in Entebbe, Uganda, working with the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education. We were laying groundwork for the first transboundary lake advisory groups for the African Great Lakes – a big step towards healthier lakes that many communities rely on for drinking water and fish.
Our event was a 10 minute walk to Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world by surface area – second only to Lake Superior. There are six other African Great Lakes (Albert, Edward, Kivu, Malawi/Niassa/Nyasa, Tanganyika, and Turkana), bordered by 10 countries. Every lake has at least 2 bordering countries, which brings an added geopolitical dimension. They comprise 25% of the world’s surface freshwater, even more than the North American Great Lakes. Fifty million lives depend on these lakes for their welfare and their livelihoods every day. The future of a lot of freshwater – and the people who depend on it – was at stake in this workshop.
Returning to my question about news headlines in 5 years, here’s what was unpredictable. I was asking meeting attendees to focus on the big picture of a future, multi-national vision. Many researchers and lake managers habitually focus solely on one part of their lake, within their country. And, they often focused on very specific aspects of that lake – that’s their job. The political relationships between some bordering countries are not always easy to navigate. My job was to help attendees develop what I hoped would become a shared future vision for all of the African Great Lakes. A successful collaboration depended on this perspective.
Researchers later told me that my “activity” wasn’t “what usually happens” at scientific meetings. But many saw the point. Because here’s what happened: despite their differences in perspective, geography, and focus, what they composed had consistently clear, cross-border unity with a collective vision.
Here are some of the headlines we saw emerge:
The next day, attendees began working together in groups that did not know each other, although these groups shared a common lake. What we all were beginning to realize was that they collectively held very common hopes and a shared vision for healthy lakes and communities.
Fast forward a year later – these groups now meet regularly. We are learning from each other. We are moving the needle on much needed progress for the African Great Lakes and those who rely on them. We continue asking big questions and try to address them, together:
Water connects us all. I serve on Freshwater Future’s Board of Directors because I believe deeply in the power of communities to protect and enhance global waterways so that all can access clean, affordable drinking water and be resilient as they face climate change impacts. This is work Freshwater Future does with head and heart fully engaged, resulting in vital systemic successes on the path to water equity.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/board-spotlight-stephanie-smith-board-chair/
Feb. 2, 2021
By Jennifer A. Smith
It can be easy to take clean drinking water for granted; we turn on our taps and simply expect it to be there. At the same time, safe water is priceless. Yet putting a price on water is just what environmental economist James Price is doing as part of a University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute-funded study. Specifically, Price is comparing the relative costs of protecting groundwater at it source versus treating that water at a plant.
“The overarching objective here is to understand the relationship between source water quality and the cost of treating drinking water,” said Price, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences.
This work will help groundwater community water systems in Wisconsin make smart, cost-effective decisions.
Over the course of his two-year study, which is in its early stages, Price will consider both short-term costs at treatment plants (such as labor and chemicals needed for water treatment) and long-term costs (like capital expenses). He’ll also factor in the connections between source water quality and the choice of specific treatment technologies.
Much of the data needed for Price’s analysis is publicly available, but it still needs to be compiled from various sources and reformatted in a way that will let him run his analyses. “The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has a great data set on water treatment costs… and then the Wisconsin DNR has some information on source water quality,” he said.
Francesca Sanchez, a graduate student in the professional master’s degree track at the School of Freshwater Sciences, is aiding in the data cleanup that will make the project possible. That data may be supplemented by an internet-based survey sent to specific contacts at water treatment plants.
The study appears to be the first of its kind looking solely at groundwater (other cost-related studies on drinking water have looked at surface water, or a combination of surface and groundwater).
Groundwater is abundant in Wisconsin and it is a critical resource: seven in 10 Wisconsinites and 97 percent of the state’s inland communities depend on groundwater for their water supply.
Price is relatively new to Wisconsin, having arrived at UW-Milwaukee in mid-2019. Previously, he did a postdoctoral fellowship at Brock University in Ontario, where he worked on a project that was somewhat similar but not focused on groundwater. That project looked at the relationship between the cost of treating drinking water in Canada and turbidity levels driven by forest fires.
Then, he moved on the Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati and looked at different land uses around well heads, source water intake and their effects on water treatment costs. Study results suggest that forestland is associated with lower treatment costs, while agricultural and urban land are associated with higher costs.
Being able to incorporate capital costs in his current WRI-funded project will offer a new angle, said Price. Few prior studies have had the information needed to factor in those costs. He’s also hoping to look at a wider range of contaminants than many prior studies have.
The end result should be actionable information for local water providers in Wisconsin. “From a community water provider’s perspective, their goal is to provide clean water at an affordable price, and so they need to consider the relative costs and benefits of treating in-plant versus protecting water at the source,” he said. “I imagine that this information will be of interest to water providers who are considering source water protection, and they’ll be interested in what kind of benefit that might mean long-term, down the road.”
The post UW-Milwaukee researcher will help water utilities make cost-conscious decisions first appeared on WRI.
News Release – WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/uw-milwaukee-researcher-will-help-water-utilities-make-cost-conscious-decisions/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-michigan-indigenous-wisconsin-fish-dnr-legislation/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
The city council in Joliet, Illinois has chosen Chicago to be its next water source, despite efforts by Hammond officials to persuade them otherwise.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/chicago-lake-michigan-minnesota-road-salt/
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2021
Contact:
Jill Ryan, Executive Director
(231) 348-8200
Jill@freshwaterfuture.org
Petoskey, MI – Today Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell re-introduced the Emergency Water is a Human Right bill. The legislation prohibits any public utility receiving federal funds authorized under the act from turning off energy and water services to Americans who cannot afford to pay their utility bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it creates a Low-Income Household Drinking Water and Wastewater Assistance Program for residents struggling to pay their water utility bills.
Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future, states, “We applaud Representatives Tlaib and Dingell for introducing legislation to keep water services flowing to Americans who cannot afford to pay their utility bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. An unprecedented number of Americans are out of work, have children learning remotely, and many are without access to running tap water in their homes. Clean, safe, and affordable water is essential to good public health and our economy. “
Ryan also notes, “A recent study confirms that a moratorium on utility disconnections reduces COVID-19 infections and saves lives. We urge Congress to swiftly pass the Emergency Water is a Human Right legislation and look forward to working with our partners and Representatives Tlaib and Dingell to ensure all Americans have access to clean, safe, and affordable water during and after COVID-19.”
A full text of the bill can be found here.
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Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/freshwater-future-applauds-congresswomen-tlaib-dingells-reintroduction-of-emergency-water-is-a-human-right/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/pfas-news-lake-superior-smelt-wisconsin-settlement-mcdonalds-epa/
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, The Associated Press has learned.
Questions and answers about the crisis that made Flint a symbol of the nation’s decaying drinking water infrastructure:
WHAT HAPPENED, AND HOW?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-flint-water-crisis-fallout-continues/
DETROIT (AP) — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2014-15, The Associated Press has learned.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-michigan-plan-charge-ex-gov-snyder-flint-water-probe/
Director’s Note
Jill M. Ryan, Executive Director
Cambridge English Dictionary defines affordability as: the state of being cheap enough for people to be able to buy. When we talk about the affordability of water, we have to start with the question, who is the customer, in order to determine what amount would be affordable for a customer to be able to buy water.
The United Nations for example, provides that the cost of providing water should not exceed 3% of household income, and the combined provision of water and sewer costs should not exceed 5% of household income if they are to be considered affordable. Unfortunately, rather than approaching affordability from the perspective of customers, we often learn that water is becoming or has become unaffordable only when people lose access to water because they couldn’t pay their water bill. In other words, we set water rates based on the need to meet expenses of our water utilities, rather than considering why water provision costs are rising and causing water to become unaffordable and addressing that problem head on.
Two of the big reasons for rising water costs at utilities are: aging water infrastructure that has been largely ignored for more than a century causing a century-old bill to come due for past unmet maintenance needs and increasing costs of treating water to remove contaminants such as lead, PFAS, bacteria, etc. Due to increased knowledge of the health impacts of emerging contaminants such as PFAS and lead, these two costs are being realized across the country at the same time and we must find solutions that allow us to focus on providing clean and safe water at affordable rates rather than continuing to pretend we can just increase rates for customers beyond their ability to pay.
As a recent report from Michigan State University by Dr. Elizabeth Mack, and others, explains, if water rates continue to increase at expected rates, in five years nearly 36% of U.S. households will no longer be able to afford water. To solve this problem, we cannot simply continue to raise rates and plow all of that money back into century-old solutions to our water provision and waste water treatment systems.
Rather, innovation and creativity are needed NOW! We must seize on new technologies and new ideas to build back our water systems in more sustainable ways than ever before. Technologies such as turbines in water pipes are already being implemented; ideas such as developing natural solutions not just to stormwater, but also for treating wastewater and capturing energy in the process must be pursued as tools to reduce costs and improve our infrastructure, not simply replace it.
Freshwater Future believes water is a basic human right and that we must find ways to help everyone be able to pay an affordable water bill and create ways to modernize our infrastructure and the resultant costs. The Great Lakes hold 20% of the Earth’s fresh surface water, and we are considered the wealthiest country in the world, yet an estimated 1,000,000 in our region do not have reliable access to running water. The U.S. also has the biggest wealth gap, and the gap in water affordability is a troubling part of that wealth gap.
Join us today to ensure clean, safe and affordable water for all by signing-on to the platform available on freshwaterfuture.org under Water Affordability.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/what-is-affordability-and-how-does-it-relate-to-water-infrastructure-and-contamination/
By Amy Diaz, Flint Beat, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
Flint, MI– A Flint activist and a Flint attorney are each taking action regarding the $641.25 million water lawsuit settlement the City joined two weeks ago.
Flint City Council voted to approve the city joining the settlement with $20 million of insurance funds, to the dismay of many citizens who were disappointed in the terms and amount of the settlement.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/demands-change-requests-information-flint-water-settlement/
The Trump administration overhauled the country’s widely criticized, 29-year-old framework to eliminate toxic lead from drinking water on Tuesday last week, but critics charge that the new rule gives utilities far more time than before to finally replace old, lead-contaminated pipes.
The new rules come six years after the Flint, Michigan, water crisis highlighted ongoing, dangerous exposure of children and others in the city to the neurotoxin in drinking water, and the failures of officials on all levels to adequately protect local families at the time.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/ap-critics-epa-lead-tainted-water/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
The aquifer that supplies Chicago suburb Joliet’s drinking water is expected to dry up by 2030.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/water-withdrawal-contaminated-farmers-water-quality/
When you turn on the faucet to get a drink of water, the last thing you want to worry about is whether the water is safe to drink. Because lead and other toxic chemicals like PFAS can’t be detected by appearance or taste, testing water is the only way to know if it is safe. Regulations require periodic testing of public water supplies for lead.
Since the primary source of lead in the drinking water is lead pipes that bring the water to the house, (lead service lines) from the bigger water main, an improved way of testing is revealing that many public water supplies have elevated lead levels.
Currently in Michigan, at least 20 public water systems have elevated lead levels that violate state regulations (above 15 parts per billion or ppb). There is no safe amount of lead in drinking water. Lead was detected above 1 ppb in over 900 public water systems. Clearly, we have a lead problem.
Exposure to lead in drinking water, as well as other sources such as lead paint, or dust from demolition is never safe. Lead is extremely toxic and harmful to people of all ages. In children it affects brain development and can reduce IQ and contribute to behavioral problems. In adults it increases cardiac disease, harms kidneys, and causes reproductive problems. A recent study estimated that for each lead service line replaced it would save $22,000 by reducing cardiac health problems. Considering the average cost to replace a lead line is $5,000 that is a sizable return on investment.
Freshwater Future is here to support residents and communities with reducing lead in drinking water. We hosted two webinars to help community members understand the regulations and provide guidance on how to push for solutions for communities with elevated lead levels, based on The Lead and Copper Rule Handbook developed by our partners at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. The webinars can be viewed online (No fee to view, but registration is required).
The Flint Water Crisis and the 2020 election reminded us that democracy is not a spectator sport. Our government functions best when residents are engaged, asking questions, and participating in forming solutions. If your community has elevated lead, we are here to support you.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/is-lead-in-your-drinking-water/
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The Flint City Council on Tuesday signed off on its portion of a $641 million settlement with residents of the poor, majority-Black city who were exposed to lead-tainted water.
The city’s insurer would kick in $20 million as part of a sweeping deal to settle lawsuits against Flint, the state of Michigan and other parties.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/ap-flint-joins-641m-deal/
DETROIT (AP) — A judge said Monday that she’ll wait until January before deciding whether to give preliminary approval to a $641 million settlement in a lawsuit by Flint residents who were exposed to water contaminated with lead and bacteria.
Residents in the city of 100,000 still will get a chance to give their opinion if preliminary approval is granted, U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/ap-judge-residents-641m-flint-water-deal/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 18, 2020
Media Contact:
Jill Ryan, Executive Director, Freshwater Future
jill@freshwaterfuture.org
(231)348-8200 ext. 2
(Communities across Michigan)- The Michigan Legislature passed legislation yesterday that prohibits water utilities from shutting off water to residents due to non-payment. The legislation, spearheaded by Senator Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), also requires the restoration of water services to families currently without running tap water. After months without protections due to a court decision removing Michigan’s Governor’s power to require water reconnections during COVID-19, this will at least temporarily fill the gap for those without running water.
“We applaud Senator Stephanie Chang’s leadership in championing legislation to eliminate the inhumane practice of water shutoffs affecting Michigan residents. Water activists have been working tirelessly for more than a decade to bring attention to the rising unaffordability of water resources in our communities and the public health crisis disproportionately affecting underrepresented communities that water shutoff practices by municipalities across Michigan create.” said Monica Lewis Patrick, President & CEO, We the People of Detroit. “We acknowledge Senator Chang’s commitment to ensuring all Michiganders have access to water and we recognize and honor the Water Warriors who have been working hard to raise awareness for years.”
Prior to COVID-19, more than 15 million Americans, or 1 out of every 20 households, had their water shut off due to being unable to pay their water bill, and it is expected that more than a third of the nation will be unable to pay their water bill by the end of 2022. These numbers will be exacerbated due to COVID-19, leaving potentially hundreds of thousands of Michiganders making hard decisions between putting food on the table and paying their water bill if the state does not take steps to work with utilities to make water affordable for everyone.
Escalating water rates are occurring in rural, suburban and urban areas alike. In rural Mancelona, a town of about 1,300 people, an average combined water and sewer rate is nearly double the United Nation’s recommended affordable amount for the median household income.
“This is the first step in protecting public health and ensuring all families across the state have access to running water to wash their hands and for drinking,” said Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future. “Now we must look forward and create a way to ensure the water stays on for everyone in the Great Lakes state and beyond.”
Through a community consensus process conducted by the Water Unity Table, ten principles have been developed outlining what residents want to see in policies to make water affordable for everyone. Based on these principles, a Water Affordability Pledge has been developed that organizations and individuals can endorse to show support for the need for affordable water.
The All About Water collaborative, including the Water Unity Table, We the People of Detroit, Freshwater Future, the Benton Harbor Community Water Council, and others are lifting up this pledge and are committed to securing affordable water for every resident of Michigan and the country. Reverend Edward Pinkney, President of the Benton Harbor Water Council said “he is extremely happy to hear that protections have been extended for access to water for another 90 days, but we need to take the next step and ensure permanent water connections for residents.”
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We the People of Detroit is dedicated to community coalition building and to the provision of resources that inform, train and mobilize the citizens of Detroit and beyond to improve their quality of life. Learn more at https://www.wethepeopleofdetroit.com/.
Freshwater Future builds a strong and effective environmental community working to protect and restore the waters of the Great Lakes by involving residents in civic decision-making. Learn more at https://freshwaterfuture.org/.
All About Water is a collaboration of community groups that works to further water policies by improving access, quality and affordability of water. Since 2017, the All About Water group has focused on improving water infrastructure and affordability, through regular calls and convenings to strategize, collaborate and create positive action on water issues.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/michigan-legislature-passes-bill-to-keep-water-on-through-march-2021/
It has been a long time coming, but We the People of Detroit is pleased that Mayor Mike Duggan is taking a step in the right direction with his announcement today regarding the creation of a water affordability plan on behalf of the residents of Detroit. This is an important first step in safeguarding public health and delivering water affordability for all Detroit residents. We must thank all of the Water Warriors who have been fighting for water equity and justice in Detroit for more than a decade. We also thank Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for his leadership in working with water justice advocates and Detroit city administrators. He has been a true champion for public health and water security. Lastly, we thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her bold leadership toward water equity and for implementing an Executive Order in March to end water shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New research from We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective this year showed a strong link between the number of COVID-19 cases and the areas of our city impacted by water shutoffs. The impact of COVID-19 on Detroit’s most vulnerable populations serves as a stark reminder of how essential water access is for public health. The pandemic has made it impossible to deny that water shutoffs are a public health hazard.
We the People of Detroit continues to advocate for policies that make water affordability a reality for all. We are building a diverse coalition dedicated to training and mobilizing the citizens of Detroit and beyond to improve their quality of life. Ensuring that all communities have a seat at the table as our city combats water injustice is essential to safeguarding the future of all residents. We look forward to working with the City Council, the Administration, the Governor’s office, and other Water Warriors to usher in clean, safe, affordable access to water and sanitation for Detroiters and Michiganders.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/mayor-duggans-detroit-water-affordability-plan-announcement/
By Amy Diaz, Flint Beat, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
Flint, MI– Lorraine Taylor remembers when she first started having to fit bottled water into her already tight $20 weekly grocery budget.
She remembered thinking about how blessed she was to have a car so she could drive to the grocery store.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/what-should-justice-look-like-for-flint-after-the-water-crisis-residents-weigh-in/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Indiana:
Just 150 miles from Lake Michigan, utility planners are worried about finding enough water to supply a growing Indianapolis because of climate change.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/drinking-water-climate-change-lead-first-nations-waukesha-pipeline/
By Amy Diaz, Flint Beat, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
Flint, MI– Attorneys involved in the Flint Water Litigation provided an overview of the $641.25 million water settlement Nov. 23 on the City of Flint Facebook page.
This information session followed the proposal of a $20 million contribution to the settlement by the city’s insurer.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/641-million-flint-water-settlement-residents-attorneys/
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/michigan-politicians-water-problems-activists-fixes/
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/alert-blackman-charter-township-michigan-water-does-not-meet-drinking-water-standards/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
Research has long shown that pollution often disproportionately affects low income — especially Black and brown — communities.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/drinking-water-wisconsin-contaminants-lead-pipes/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
Residents of Sycamore, Illinois, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Sycamore, alleging that it knowingly failed to maintain its water supply and ignored problems with its corrosion control treatment.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/drinking-water-news-lead-illinois-michigan-first-nations/
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/plumbing-poverty-urban-residents-study/
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/trump-administration-water-policy/
There are an estimated 6.1 to 9.3 million lead service lines – pipes carrying drinking water – across the country. Ohio is second in the nation for lead service lines at an estimated 650,000 lead service lines carrying water to families’ homes, second only to IL. While it is unclear how much money it will really take to fully remove lead service lines in Ohio, on the low end it can run approximately $2,400 a line and on the high end approximately $7,100 a line, which could mean anywhere from $1.95 B to $4.62 B over 20 years to fully replace the lead service lines.
Recently the Ohio EPA announced up to $20 million in grant-like funding to eligible lead service line replacement projects through the state’s Drinking Water Assistance Fund for fiscal years (July 1st – June 30th) 2021 and 2022. Communities can receive up to $1 million per a year. The funding criteria does require the replacement of both the public and private lead service line. The private service line is the line that runs generally from the curb of your house inside the house.
Is your community taking advantage of this funding? Call your local elected officials to find out.
As a mom I worry about my children and as a scientist and environmentalist, I probably know too much to taper my worrying. I worry about the food they are eating, about their mental and social well-being, and about what is in the water they are drinking. I worry so much, that when news of Flint, MI and then Sebring, OH’s lead-in-water crisis broke, I called their school districts’ operation manager to find out the last time they tested for lead in the school system. I also made my husband watch the documentary made about the Flint water crisis – there was a lot of anger and tension that night watching the documentary and rightfully so.
No parent should ever have to worry if their child is unbeknownst to them being poisoned by lead. When I watched and heard stories about parents unknowingly giving their children water tainted with lead, it brought me to my knees. I saw and heard their pain and I knew the lives of these families had been changed forever. This is why I work so hard with my colleagues daily to fully remove lead service lines from communities across the Great Lakes and to make sure those unable to afford to replace their private water lead service line have access to grant funding. It is also why Freshwater Future trains community members on how to take action and protect themselves, while also working to change policies. It is why I, and my colleagues, also work with partners across the Great Lakes that deal with lead in paint, because we know we must take a one-touch approach to removing lead from houses completely.
Author: Kristy Meyer, Freshwater Future Director of Policy
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/ohio-environmental-protection-agency-provides-funding-for-lead-service-line-replacement/
Protecting our children and family from lead based products go back as far as we can remember. In 1978, the use of lead based paint was banned inside buildings. During those times, great harm was discovered when the paint began to crack and chip, due to the bumping and rubbing against walls and window sills. Breaking down into dust and contaminating the air with microscopic particles unseen to the eye and inhaled, thus elevating blood lead levels and risk of lead poisoning. Air quality within the family’s home once compromised has been corrected and readjusted for a safer and healthier home by using water-based paint. Be that as it may, lead continues to persist as an everyday challenge for people within their home, if it is not the air being compromised, it’s their drinking water.
Lead service lines (LSL) have been known to increase the lead content within our drinking water for centuries. In 1986, new LSL’s were banned to be installed though existing lines were permitted to stay. Instead of removing them completely alternative strategies were implemented such as lining the pipes with a corrosion control solution to reduce the amount of lead leaching into the water, partial lead line replacement, and a federal lead regulation disallowing lead levels in water to surpass 15 parts per billion (ppb).
The Center of Disease Control (CDC) pronounced the partial lead line replacement could backfire and substantially increase the content of lead in water. Similar to lead paint, if the LSL is disturb it would release higher concentrations of lead than if the pipe remained static. Making full lead line replacement superior.
To be clear there is no safe level of lead in your water, and full lead line replacement is the best option to eliminate lead from our water. However, the greater the concentration of lead the greater risk of health impairments. According to the CDC, exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, kidney and brain damage. Very high lead exposure can cause death. Lead can cross the placental barrier, which means pregnant women who are exposed to lead also expose their unborn child. Lead can damage a developing baby’s nervous system. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with mental retardation and behavioural disorders that include but are not limited to increased aggression which may lead to more violence, and a decreased IQ level.
Equitable opportunities sit at the heart of Freshwater Future’s core values. Lead is a serious issue and all communities should be given the proper care and resources to protect themselves and their family. That is why Freshwater Future has created a slew of content regarding lead to serve as an additional resource hub for community members looking for more information on how to protect their families and their drinking water from lead exposure.
Author: Brandon Tyus, Freshwater Future Community Programming & Policy Associate
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/how-the-lead-did-we-get-here/
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
In March, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced an emergency moratorium on utility shut-offs to protect customers during the COVID-19 health crisis, but most major Illinois providers resumed service disconnections by late summer.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/drinking-water-illinois-covid-19-coronavirus-ontario/
By Lynne Peeples, Ensia, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
Before her 73-year-old mom contracted Legionnaires’ disease at a nursing home earlier this year, Monique Barlow knew little about the deadly pneumonia and the waterborne pathogen that causes it.
“Until then, I didn’t give it much thought,” says Barlow.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/legionella-dangerous-pathogens-drinking-water/
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/michigan-20-million-customer-water-debts/
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A judge on Tuesday ordered Flint to check for lead or galvanized steel water lines in neighborhoods built since the 1990s, despite the city’s belief that the homes have copper pipes.
Flint is in the homestretch of digging down to water lines at more than 20,000 properties and replacing them if necessary, the result of a deal that settled a lawsuit by residents and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-judge-flint-water-lines-newer-neighborhoods/
