Craig Cugini, city manager, city of Ishpeming

ISHPEMING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday awarded more than $7.3 million in newly announced grants issued under the MI Clean Water Plan that will help 15 Michigan communities better ensure clean and reliable drinking water for residents.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy awarded a Drinking Water Asset Management grant of $663,000 to the city of Ishpeming for water system enhancement through distribution system materials inventory development and asset management plan updates.

Ishpeming City Manager Craig Cugini said in a statement, “The city of Ishpeming currently estimates that there is $15 million in lead service line replacement required throughout our city. The DWAM grant will help us to verify this estimate and properly plan for the programming of funds.

“We are grateful for this funding, as it was not programmed and would have directly affected the community’s funding for other critical needs.”

Forsyth Township will receive a DWAM grant of $342,000 for water system enhancement through distribution system materials inventory development and asset management plan updates.

Every Michigander deserves access to safe drinking water, Whitmer said in statement.

“Today’s grants will help 15 communities upgrade their water infrastructure, replace lead service lines and tackle PFAS and other toxic contaminants,” Whitmer said. “Since I took office, Michigan has invested more in our water infrastructure than the previous eight years. Thanks to bipartisan investments in water infrastructure through the MI Clean Water Plan, we have created jobs, protected public health and lowered costs for Michigan families. We will keep getting things done on the kitchen-table issues and ensuring working families have access to clean water.”

The governor’s office said that DWAM is a one-time, $36.5 million grant program developed by EGLE under the Clean Water Plan. It helps drinking water suppliers develop and update asset management plans, and/or develop a distribution system materials inventory to identify materials that are part of the distribution system, such as lead service lines, as defined in Michigan’s revised’s lead and copper rule.

Some allocations under DWAM are still being determined, although grant applications have closed.