Water's True Cost

Fifty years ago, on December 16, 1974, Ford clinched a public health victory when he signed a bill that joined the pantheon of federal environmental protection laws enacted that decade.Today, the country still reaps the benefits from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Most Americans are provided high-quality water from their taps.

Michigan cities rich and poor, big and small have been delaying maintenance on their water systems for decades. Now, even wealthy towns are suffering the consequences of past reluctance to pay for water system upkeep.

As some rural towns lose population and government funds shrink, their drinking water systems are one failure away from crisis.

Though the costs are enormous and success is by no means assured if upgraded assets are not maintained, for the first time in decades Michigan is addressing systemic challenges in delivering drinking water and cleaning up wastewater that local and state officials and taxpaying residents have been unable to resolve.