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ANN ARBOR, MICH. (October 9, 2017)—As the U.S. Congress and Trump Administration debate the fate of core Great Lakes restoration programs, hundreds of advocates for the lakes prepare to gather in Buffalo, N.Y., October 17-19, for the 13^th annual Great Lakes restoration conference.

“We hope the conference is a catalyst for continued congressional support for federal Great Lakes restoration efforts,” said Todd Ambs, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have delivered for the Great Lakes before, and we’re asking them to not waiver now—more than 30 million people depend on the lakes for their drinking water. Federal investments are producing results in communities from Buffalo to Duluth, but serious threats remain. Now is not the time to scale back the nation’s commitment to the Great Lakes or problems will get worse and more costly to solve.”

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DETROIT, MICH. (October 6, 2017) – The Detroit Branch NAACP and Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition held a press briefing today, Friday October 6, 2017 at 10 a.m. to discuss potential fixes to the City of Detroit’s Water System.  Representatives from the Detroit Branch NAACP and Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition addressed the country’s $660 billion water infrastructure crisis; $1.4 billion is in Wayne County.

Though the federal infrastructure budget is still in the air, Detroit Branch NAACP is spurring the discussion now with the hopes that area leaders can move faster to influence Congress and implement important municipal changes.

“The Detroit Branch NAACP will continue to work in partnership and tandem with organizations that focus on improving quality of life issues for our community,” says Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, Detroit Branch NAACP President.  “Improvements to Detroit and Wayne County’s water infrastructure will boost quality of life in several ways including creating a healthier community and it can also be a jobs provider.  Let’s be proactive and work to improve Detroit’s and other urban areas water infrastructure now before the costs continue to rise and deteriorate even further.”

National infrastructure is traditionally thought of as projects requiring metal and concrete – including roads, bridges and freight lines. Many experts and influencers across the country want to update the conversation to recognize a range of needs, including issues like urban and rural access to broadband.

“Our nation faces a water infrastructure crisis that demands our federal government step up to the plate as a partner with local communities,” said Todd Ambs, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Federal investments in the Great Lakes are producing results in Detroit and around the region, but clearly more needs to be done. Congress can invest in solutions to help local communities to protect our drinking water, economy, and way of life. Delay will only make these problems worse and more costly to solve.”

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This week the U.S. House and Senate will work on FY18 budget resolutions.  The full House is expected to debate its resolution starting Wednesday.  The Senate Budget Committee will mark up its version this week as well. There is a potential for cuts to non-defense discretionary funding, which would reduce the pool of funds available for programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has submitted an amendment to protect the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative from cuts that could ensue if non-defense discretionary spending is cut. Read the amendment language here.

On Destination Junction Day, attendees tour nearby neighborhood rain gardens. Photo credit: Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition

TOLEDO, OHIO (September 29, 2017) – Community leaders in Toledo joined Great Lakes advocates today to urge the U.S. Congress to at least double federal investments in water infrastructure to prevent neighborhood flooding, keep beaches open, and provide safe drinking water.

Toledo community leaders and Great Lakes advocates urged the U.S. Congress to increase federal support for community infrastructure projects at an all-day forum organized by the Junction Coalition. The event celebrated some local successful projects to reduce flooding from stormwater, as well as highlighted challenges communities still face when it comes to water infrastructure.

The call for federal action comes as communities across the country grapple with a staggering backlog of work to fix, repair, and modernize their drinking water and waste water infrastructure. Nearly $180 billion is needed over the next twenty years, according to the EPA, to update the wastewater and drinking water infrastructure in the eight-state Great Lakes region of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New York. Nationally, the tab is approximately $660 billion.

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Milwaukee residents attend a fair at Alice’s Garden to learn about ways to capture and reuse rain water to help curb flooding, maintain the community garden, and reduce runoff into Lake Michigan. PHOTO / Todd Ambs

Upcoming events in Toledo, Detroit, and Gary, Ind., to highlight local water infrastructure challenges, solutions—and need for ongoing federal investment

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is partnering with local communities around the Great Lakes region to promote federal investments in water infrastructure to protect the health of communities and the Great Lakes themselves. On August 27, the Coalition collaborated with more than two dozen local community groups, environmental organizations, city partners, and regional agencies to promote the adoption of low- and no-cost rainwater reuse methods to Milwaukee’s urban neighborhoods to help city residents reduce localized flooding as well as stormwater pollution in Lake Michigan. More >