Clean Water - Ambassadors

Overview of Ambassadors

Clean Water Ambassadors

Community residents throughout Michigan are encouraged to serve as Community Ambassadors. As an Ambassador, you can share your opinion and stay connected to drinking water related efforts in Michigan.

The Clean Water Ambassador Initiative is a statewide effort designed to improve transparency and communication concerning water quality in Michigan. Clean Water Ambassadors play a vital role in ensuring that drinking water programs and resources are accessible and effective. Ambassadors provide their feedback and input by participating in webinars and in-person meetings as well as completing online surveys.

As of July 2020, there are over 100 Clean Water Ambassadors across Michigan. Any residents above the age of 18 years old are invited to serve as an Ambassador. Clean Water Ambassadors have diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to ensure that our water efforts are inclusive and accessible to Michigan residents.

This map shows the Michigan regions represented by Clean Water Ambassadors. Consider signing up as your community representative.

Clean Water Ambassadors will advise on Office of the Clean Water Public Advocate initiatives. A list of initiatives is in the upcoming webinar section on this page. In addition, Clean Water Ambassadors will provide feedback on specific state of Michigan programs.

Additional topics recommended by Clean Water ambassadors that pertain to improving water quality and transparency of data regarding water quality will be added to the project list.

- Drinking Water Online Concern Form (July Webinar)
- Communication Plan for Deployment of Uniform Drinking Water System (August Webinar)
- Clean Water Website Phase 2 (September Webinar)
- Clean Water Dashboard (October Webinar)
- Annual Accountability Report (November Webinar)

In 2021, Clean Water Ambassadors will provide their input regarding the development of a statewide water campaign. Drinking water in Michigan has been a recurring topic in local and national media. Michigan’s Lead and Copper Rule as well as the new PFAS Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) show Michigan is taking action to improve water quality and go beyond federal requirements. There are also other efforts that contribute to improving water quality in Michigan, such as the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act, Public Act 399.

As Michigan continues to rebuild trust, the key strategies must focus on the transparency of water quality data and two-way communication with communities. A comprehensive Drinking Water Campaign that provides Michigan residents with information about water quality and the strategic direction of the State to improve water quality is needed. Michigan residents have a varying degree of understanding concerning water quality. There is a clear assumption that all residents understand how they receive their water, how their water is treated and what actions to take to report a water quality concern. A comprehensive campaign that includes social media, billboards and public service announcements is needed to share information about water quality. This campaign will have a public health component, although a focus will be on the investments and strategies to address water concerns as a root cause to avoid a public health crisis.