Flint receives $77.7 million for water improvement projects

The remaining $77.7 million in federal funding for water infrastructure improvements has been released to Flint by the state.

The funds are from a $120 million federal and state loan granted to Flint in March 2017 by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016. The funds support several Flint water infrastructure projects.

“While we grateful for this funding it’s important to understand its not new funding,” said Flint’s Director of Public Works Rob Bincsik. “The federal government awarded this funding and is utilizing the MDEQ’s Drinking Water Revolving Fund as the mechanism to disperse it to the City of Flint.”

Projects funded through the loan include: completion of a secondary water source pipeline, Dort and Cedar streets reservoir and pump station improvements, construction of a chemical feed building, replacement of the Northwest transmission main, water main and water meter replacement, water quality monitoring panel and contingency service line replacement funding.

“These projects will help the short and long term sustainability of the water system in the city of Flint, but as stated in the Water Distribution Optimization Plan the water system needs in excess of another $300 million in capital improvements over the next 20 years,” Bincsik stated.

The remaining funds were released along with a $51.7 million loan to the city of East Lansing and a $10.2 million loan for Monroe County on behalf of Bedford Township for similar water infrastructure projects.