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Four Macomb County communities will receive a combined $36.6 million in federal stimulus money to repair outdated sewer and water systems, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the governor's office.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said that Center Line, Fraser, New Haven and Shelby Township will receive federal help to complete long-awaited infrastructure projects. The Center Line and Fraser plans represent a big victory for environmental groups, as the work will end the routine dumping of raw sewage into Lake St. Clair.
"This project," said Fraser City Manager Jeff Bremer, "is all about protecting the lakes, streams and rivers of the state of Michigan, as well as making sure we have no (sewage) backups into basements."
Fraser will receive nearly $13 million to construct a 3-mile sewer line from
Kelly and Masonic roads west to Hayes, and north to a major sewer interceptor line on 15 Mile Road. That will end the discharges of sewage from the city's sewer retention ponds into streams and drains that flow into the lake.
Last year, Fraser dumped nearly 2 million gallons of untreated sewage into the waterways.
Bremer said bids have already been awarded for the new sewers, totaling $10.6 million, and the project could be launched within days, if necessary. He said it will be completed by the end of the year.
Fraser and Center Line have been under orders from the state Department of Environmental Quality for several years to correct their pollution problems. But both cities have struggled to make repairs.
Under the governor's plan, Center Line will receive $8.2 million. The city dumped 8,820 gallons of raw sewage into the waterways in 2008.
Center Line City Manager Nancy Bourgeois could not be reached for comment.
In New Haven, which has been plagued for years by an aging infrastructure, officials have often resorted to "boil water" alerts when the lack of flow caused stagnation. The village will receive nearly $11 million for sewer and water repairs through the $787 billion stimulus package that President Obama signed last month.
New Haven officials also could not be reached for comment.
After the Granholm administration's mid-afternoon announcement Wednesday, some local officials were not aware of the details. Shelby Township will receive $2.5 million for sewer upgrades but township Supervisor Richard Strathakis was unclear which of the many projects he proposed were approved.
"I can't really tell you which ones," Strathakis said. "It's … all still a little fuzzy."
The projects offered by Shelby, he added, are all "shovel ready" and could be launched within two months.
The federal money does not come with no strings attached. But it supplements a federal-state program that offers low-interest loans to communities for water and sewer projects.
Under the stimulus plan, much of the principal will be forgiven for each project and municipalities will pay back a minimal amount with low interest rates.
Michigan was allocated $236 million under the stimulus package for sewer and water improvements and Granholm is doling out money for dozens of projects across the state.
"Federal economic recovery funding will provide an additional boost to Michigan's ongoing efforts to upgrade the infrastructure in communities across the state over the next two years," the governor said.
"By getting these projects off the ground, we are protecting our citizens and our environment while putting Michigan workers back on the job."
U.S. Rep. Sander Levin said he was pleased that the $4 billion designated in the recovery plan for clean-water projects will help Center Line and Fraser.
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