Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties’ Post

💧 💧 💧 Good news for our beautiful state! EGLE announces $11.9 million in MI Clean Water grants to help Michigan communities upgrade water infrastructure, protect health, environment. “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. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Legislature, and federal agencies have ramped up funding for aging water infrastructure – a critical move to help ensure those water systems continue to protect public health and the environment, including Michigan’s unmatched freshwater resources.” https://lnkd.in/gUYZkWVw.

Water leaks may seem like a trivial matter, but as the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) points out, "US cities face drinking water crisis as trillions of gallons leak from aging systems." Barrett and Greene Inc. offer up Exhibit A in a Management Update about Texas whose largest cities by population, “lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year,” according to a July 5 article in the The Texas Tribune. The primary causes: aging infrastructure and extreme heat. In fact, “water leaks have become the leading cause of 311 calls since 2021,” with a 30% jump from 2022 to 2023, reported an April article in Houstonia Magazine. “As pressure for the city to address this issue rises, Houston Public Works is faced with the dilemma of a decaying system—a vast network riddled with miles of pipes nearing the end of their lifespan.” Something needs to be done, but it isn’t going to be cheap. According to a Lone-Star-based think tank, Texas 2036, “Texas will need to spend more than $150 billion over the next 50 years on water infrastructure.” American Water Works Association American Society of Civil Engineers Maureen M. Holman, Esq. David L. Gadis Ron Wirtz Jim Durling Don Kettl Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Todd H. Votteler The Pew Charitable Trusts To read more about it click here: https://lnkd.in/enZqRr7h

Check out this post with compelling descriptions of how low-income customers are receiving assistance at Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and at other utilities across the country!

Power through partnerships: check out how HRWC is partnering with the Clinton River Watershed Council and the Friends of the Rouge to expand ways to protect water throughout SE Michigan via the Rain Catchers Collective. More in Ric Lawson's new blog

There used to be this notion that there was an endless supply of fresh water in our rivers. The Mississippi River, the Missouri River, the Ohio River — they’d always be able to supply drinking water. In fact, one idea thrown around was to build a pumping and pipeline network divert some of that water to the Colorado River and to the West, where water scarcity is becoming more of an issue. But I have to wonder now whether people will still consider that idea now that we’re seeing the threat of saltwater intrusion at the mouth of the Mississippi River. I think now people will realize that the Mississippi is not an inexhaustible resource, nor are our other rivers. The Midwest has droughts, too. So we have to be aware of those kinds of things when we’re looking for solutions to water scarcity. Water management and desalination is something more industrial facilities are going to need to consider. And Kiewit can offer them the expertise to guide them along the way.

Cherokee Nation, City of Stilwell break ground on new $26M water treatment plant   The new state-of-the-art facility will replace the city’s aging water treatment center, which was built in the 1960s and is reaching its daily capacity of 2.8 million gallons of water. The new plant will nearly double the city’s capacity, providing up to 5 million gallons of water per day, serving not only the city of Stilwell, State of Oklahoma but also rural water districts throughout Adair County.   “Our local and state partners were quick to listen to the community’s needs and worked hand-in-hand with us to make the biggest difference possible,” Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “This collaboration demonstrates the power of coming together to address critical infrastructure needs and ensure a brighter future for our citizens. We accomplish more by working together, and Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and I share in that effort each day. This is a project that will truly impact generations of families here in Adair County.”   Read the Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gDW2DYhT   ChlorTainer has collaborated with various tribes on chemical safety projects throughout the years including the Navajo Nation and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Learn about ChlorTainer's use at a Navajo Tribal Utility Authority - NTUA site in the State of Arizona: https://lnkd.in/gGkngDz2   Follow #ChlorTainer for more Water Industry & Chemical Industry content.   #WaterIndustry #WaterTreatment #Funding #WaterSector #Sustainable #CleanWater

Critical for Growth — Power and Water!  Why would a company choose to start a new business or grow an existing one in Beaufort County? For several reasons: low operation costs, a business-friendly environment, access to domestic and international markets, a highly skilled workforce and a solid power and water infrastructure. Two members of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation board represent the two major entities that make the county ready for investment: Ashley Feaster, Community Affairs and Economic Development Manager with the Palmetto Electric Cooperative and Verna Arnette, General Manager of the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority.   We recently talked with Ashley and Verna about the importance of having a reliable power and water supply, which are fundamental for the operation of business and industry. Click here to read the full article: https://lnkd.in/ef6zrcFY 

Everyone has these sitting around not knowing the potential for catastrophic incidents. Take a look at this quick video and understand the importance of fire prevention.

📢 Check out this EFCN quick-read blog: "What’s the Problem? Building Awareness to Change Behavior" by Sarah Diefendorf, Director of Capacity Collaborative (formerly EFCWest). Sarah sheds light on the challenges wastewater utilities face in communicating septic management and care in vulnerable communities across the United States. It's a recurring pattern: outreach efforts often start at the end of the story, rather than the beginning. However, establishing awareness and fostering a personal connection to the issue at hand is essential for lasting behavior change. Learn about real-life examples where providing information alone falls short and why starting at the root of the problem is crucial for long-term solutions. See just how a communications campaign in Hawaii tackled faulty cesspool impacts on water quality and empowered homeowners and renters to take action. 💧Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/edFV-7dg #Wastewater #SepticManagement #BehaviorChange #AwarenessBuilding #Communication #PublicCommunication #WaterUtilities #EffectiveCampaigning