The Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division (DWEHD), within the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (EGLE), has responsibility for issuing construction permits for public water supply under the authority of Public Act 399 of 1976, as amended. A public water supply must submit plans and specifications and obtain a construction permit before commencing construction of a waterworks system or an alteration, addition or improvement to a system. Community public water supplies must submit plans prepared by a licensed professional engineer to the appropriate EGLE district office. Permitting authority for non-community water supplies has been designated to local health departments in many areas of the state.
Any business wishing to connect to an existing public water supply must obtain approval from the supplier before the connection is made. If the supplier needs to install water mains as part of a project, then a construction permit must be issued to the supplier of water mains as part of a project then a construction permit must be issued to the supplier from EGLE (this page summarizes that approval process).
A. NAME OF PERMIT OR APPROVAL:
Public Water Supply Construction Permit
B. STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
Safe Drinking Water Act, Public Act 399 of 1976, as amended
C. APPLICABLE REGULATION:
Supplying Water to the Public, Part 1 - Part 28, (R 325.11306)
D. SUMMARY OF PERMIT/APPROVAL PROCESS:
Modification, addition, installation, or alteration of any community or non-community water works system, which affects flow, capacity, system service area, source, treatment, or reliability
None specifically for construction permits. An annual water supply fee is assessed to all community and non-community public water systems based on type and population that supports all regulatory activities performed in the supervision of public water systems, including plan review and approval.
There is no appeal process outlined in the Act or rules and appeals are uncommon because the Act and rules provide that plans be resubmitted until compliant with the appropriate standards. Appeals would be provided by law.
The decision makers for this approval process are the licensed District or Area Engineers in the DWEHD district offices. In situations where there is no licensed engineer in the district office, a licensed professional engineer supervisor issues the permit. Many of these permits are for replacement of infrastructure or improvement of service rather than new development, and there is no formal public involvement in this review and approval process, which typically is completed within two weeks. The public input opportunities that exist are at the local level as appropriate (land use planning, zoning, hearings, etc.) when the plans are being developed. In addition, extensive public input processes are sometimes associated with the funding source for the project. For example, there is an extensive formal public input process as related to projects funded through Michigan's State Drinking Water Revolving Fund.
E. Administrating Agency:
DWEHD, Field Operations, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, P.O. Box 30473, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7973
Creation/Revision
12/2019