By Michele Arquette-Palermo

If one googles “water crisis in Michigan,” the story of Flint, Michigan dominates the responses for several pages. While tragic, it is not the only crisis that we are facing in the Great Lakes region. One of the significant problems facing communities throughout the Great Lakes basin is the failing infrastructure.

Water is a natural resource that is continuously being cycled both by the environment and by humankind. Drinking water facilities clean water and send it to our homes, businesses, and schools. After the water leaves these areas, it travels to wastewater facilities to be cleaned, treated, and released back into the environment. It is used by fish and wildlife and is treasured by those who live, work, and play in the Great Lakes region.

A Cascading effect

Over 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes to provide drinking water, which is why protecting this resource is a matter of environmental stewardship and public health and safety. These failing systems release sewage and polluted stormwater into lakes, rivers, and streams, thereby contaminating Great Lakes beaches, threatening public health, and damaging local economies. Water infrastructure is a costly challenge for many communities, and there is currently no affordable solution available.

County and local governments own over 90 percent of public infrastructure assets. While the U.S. government assists in building and maintaining these assets, 75 percent of the costs fall on state and local governments. Many of these local governments are struggling to pay the tab. In the late 1970s, the federal government paid for 63 percent of the water infrastructure investments. Today, their support counts for less than 10 percent. In response, rates have increased for consumers. From 2010 to 2017, consumers saw a 41 percent in prices. As the current systems fail, the costs will only continue to rise.

To combat such rising prices, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is calling for communities to take advantage of low-interest federal loans. Research shows that investment in public infrastructure fuels economic growth by increasing private productivity, stimulating job growth and improving quality of life. The Alliance for the Great Lakes has urged Congress to increase funding to the Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds which provides communities with low-interest loans for infrastructure improvements. Despite their budget request for 5.1 billion dollars, only 2.9 billion was budgeted for 2019.  However, 2.9 billion is not nearly enough to meet current needs.

What’s Next?

What can communities do? Locals need to communicate with government leaders and raise awareness that investment in water infrastructure is vital to the health and safety of Great Lakes, for generations today, and in the future.

To learn more about what issues needed to be brought to the attention of our Great Lakes delegation visit https://www.healthylakes.org/.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michele Arquette-Palermo is Head of the Freshwater Forum at the Cranbrook Institute of Science (CIS) in Bloomfield MI, a position she has retained since 2015. She is an alumnus of Northern Michigan University with a background in Ecology, Aquatic Biology and specializes in water quality assessments. She is also a graduate of Walden University with a MS in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. As the Head of the Freshwater Forum Michele oversees all aspects of Forum’s activities including fund development, grant writing, educational programs, teacher professional development, exhibitions, and research and stakeholder engagement. 

Michele likes to spend her spare time in and on the water, cheering on the Detroit Tigers, volunteering for a variety of organizations and serving on both the Orion Township Parks and Recreation and Environmental Resources Committees. Michele also coordinates Slow Row, a local kayak group with over 700 members.