Michigan Receives More Than $45 Million From U.S. Department of Agriculture to Provide Rural Communities with High-Speed Internet Access and Clean Drinking Water

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2024
Contact: Michiganinfrastructure@michigan.gov

Michigan Receives More Than $45 Million From U.S. Department of Agriculture to Provide Rural Communities with High-Speed Internet Access and Clean Drinking Water

LANSING, Mich.— The Michigan Infrastructure Office (MIO) today announced that Michigan will receive more than $45 million in grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bring high-speed internet, clean water, state-of-the-art infrastructure and economic growth to rural communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America initiative.

Under the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, the USDA is providing $9.7 million to help 24 organizations deliver or receive technical assistance to expand high-speed internet access for people in rural and Tribal communities across 17 states. Merit Network Inc. is receiving $997,000 to develop a connectivity and digital equity strategy to promote the expansion of high-speed internet in eight communities across Muskegon, Roscommon, Van Buren, Ogemaw and Saginaw counties in Michigan.

Additionally, 11 communities in Michigan will receive a combined $45 million in Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants for projects ranging from improvements to wastewater treatment systems to replacing lines of drinking water mains.

“Rural Michigan is a fundamental piece of our economy, and its potential is undeniable. By investing in modern infrastructure from reliable internet to clean water, we can empower these communities to create jobs, attract new residents, and thrive,” said Zachary Kolodin, the state’s chief infrastructure officer and director of the MIO. I applaud the Biden Administration and our congressional delegation for working together to make this investment in our rural communities happen, ensuring all Michiganders have the resources they need to make it in Michigan.”

“This is a great example of seeing federal dollars make an impact for our kids, their opportunities, our local economies, and keeping people in Michigan,” said U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin. “We need universal broadband and clean drinking water, and this announcement supports that work. As the only Michigander on the House Agriculture Committee, I continue to advocate for our communities, which includes treating access to internet and clean water out of your tap as a right and not a privilege.” 

The communities in Michigan selected to receive Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture include:

•  The Village of Ellsworth has been awarded a $1,601,880 grant to conduct a wastewater collection and treatment system.
• The Village of Baraga has been awarded a $1,272,880 loan and a $727,120 grant to complete the third phase of improvements to the village’s water system. 
•  The City of Albion has been awarded a $1,146,000 loan to update and modify the city’s wastewater treatment system, including grit removal, and high-efficiency blowers to better manage energy costs.
•  The City of Wakefield has been awarded a $575,000 loan to complete maintenance on its water distribution system including improvements to aging infrastructure and water main capacity.
•  The City of Lowell has been awarded a $3,913,00 loan to replace approximately 4,825 linear feet of gravity-fed wastewater collection mains.
•  Lexington Village has been awarded a $2,416,000 loan to make improvements to the water system, including doubling the existing capacity and adding a ground storage tank to improve water pressure and prevent contamination and backflow.
•  The village of White Pigeon has been awarded an $11,765,000 loan to replace approximately 7,500 linear lines of drinking water mains.
•  The Village of Mendon has been awarded a $1,751,000 loan to complete a previously funded project that will make necessary improvements to the drinking water system in the community.
•  The Village of Mayville has been awarded a $4,501,000 loan and $9,999,000 grant to improve the community’s aging and ineffective sewer and lagoon system.
•  The Village of Constantine has received a $6,605,000 loan and a $500,000 grant to complete the recommissioning of the shuttered wastewater plant

“This loan to Albion is a major contribution toward upgrades to their wastewater plant and I’m impressed with the city staffs’ ability to compete for these funds,” said state Representative Jim Haadsma (D-Battle Creek). “Protecting our water is a priority and I’m pleased to see our federal, state and city governments partner to get this done.” 

The investments in Michigan were among 216 projects selected to receive a total of $772 million that will benefit more than 1 million people living in remote areas of the country by providing reliable high-speed internet access, clean, safe water, and a range of support for rural families, agricultural producers and small businesses. 

Michigan has brought home more than $10 billion in federal funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support infrastructure improvements, including a $14 million Rural Surface Transportation Grant to revitalize West Bay Shore Drive in Leelanau County and $1.5 billion in funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to expand high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved communities.

For more information about the Michigan Infrastructure Office, please visit www.michigan.gov/whitmer/issues/michigan-infrastructure-office.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICE
The MIO is responsible for organizing and executing Governor Whitmer’s vision for infrastructure, coordinating across state government, marshaling resources, and partnering with local officials, federal partners, and outside stakeholders to ensure resources sent to Michigan through BIL, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), are used efficiently and effectively.