May 5, 2004

The Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester today announced that 11 community public water utilities will be receiving a total of $1,109,785 through the state of Michigan’s Abandoned Well Management Grants Program to safeguard public water supply wells and protect the groundwater aquifers that they depend upon.

The grant funds, administered by the DEQ’s Water Division, are used by communities to locate and plug abandoned wells that are identified inside the recharge areas for the communities’ drinking water supply wells. Unplugged abandoned wells can pose a threat to public health by providing a direct conduit for near-surface contaminants to gain entry into drinking water aquifers.

The grant program is funded through the Clean Michigan Initiative, a $675 million general obligation bond overwhelmingly approved by Michigan voters in 1998. To be eligible to receive the 75 percent state cost share funding through the CMI, a community must have identified the recharge area for their wells and must provide a 25 percent local match.

The following 11 community public water utilities have been awarded Abandoned Well Management Grants:

• City of Bangor - $120,250
• City of Battle Creek - $259,500
• Village of Beulah - $45,000
• City of Hastings - $45,000
• Village of Kalkaska - $95,000
• Kinross Charter Township - $5,286
• Oxford Charter Township - $120,250
• Rudyard Township - $45,000
• City of Saline - $34,250
• Waterford Charter Township - $292,250
• City of Watervliet - $48,000

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

Revised May 5, 2004 by Pat Watson