Eight rural communities in Michigan are getting help from the USDA to fix water infrastructure problems - like sewage contamination, aging pipes, and flooding.
Joe Suma is the Drain Commissioner for Lapeer County. He says a nearly $5,000,000 low-interest loan should fix a chronic problem that's been plaguing a number of homes in the village of Dryden after heavy rainstorms.
Suma said some of the homes have had their basements and even first floors fill with water a few times a year.
He said the engineering work on the application that won them the loan was drawn up to enable significant modifications and connections to a primary drain that will help a lot more than just those homeowners.
"I think it's going to drastically help the entire village," he said. "The modification is in that ditch zone and will slow it down from speeding down through the river."
Suma said the project will fix other chronic issues at the same time.
"The schoolyard's not properly draining; [now] they shouldn't have water trouble. The industrial area, this should greatly improve drainage there. The park and the church property area are (draining) excessive water onto the neighbors, so their excessive water will be going in the system and getting gone."
Other communities getting loans or grants include:
Standish Township, to correct issues with the private septic system that's been contaminating the beaches along the lakeshore.
Marquette County to update the water distribution system in and around the former KI Sawyer Air Force Base.
South Haven, to replace a 100-year old standpipe.
City of Ironwood, to replace deteriorating sanitary sewer mains, storm sewer mains, and manholes.
City of Standish, to rehabilitate structurally deficient gravity sewer mains and manholes and other system improvements.
Village of Kingston, to replace undersized and aging pipes.
Village of Breckenridge, to provide a raw water well, liquid bulk brine tanks, water meters and a water tower mixing system.
