eat Lakes Coalition to urge members of Congress to continue their support for federal investments to protect the drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life for the millions of people in the eight-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 

Materials from Great Lakes Day 2026

For communities across Wisconsin, access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water is a persistent concern. Lead service lines, aging water infrastructure, and harmful contaminates like nitrates are among the many factors that necessitate extensive—and expensive—repairs to drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems throughout the state. Two federal-state partnerships—the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) are integral to provide financial support for these necessary updates.

In a lab at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), in Rochester, New York, dozens of plastic bins of cigarette butts, food wrappers, bottle caps, one-shot liquor bottles, and other trash are stacked neatly on shelves, waiting to be sorted and categorized. This debris décor comes from litter-catching mesh devices called LittaTraps™, which have been installed in storm drains across Rochester to intercept garbage otherwise destined for Lake Ontario.

In groundwater sources across Wisconsin, an invisible pollutant is degrading aquatic ecosystems, threatening human health, and costing local communities millions of dollars. This chemical, known as nitrate, is the most widespread groundwater contaminant in Wisconsin, and it can cause serious problems. According to a new report, nitrate pollution has climbed steadily since 2013, affecting both municipal drinking water systems and private wells.

The House has passed a three-bill funding package that includes funding for the Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Army Corps of Engineers for Fiscal Year 2026. Great Lakes and clean water programs largely maintained funding levels, with modest increases in several areas.

The Coalition, along with more than 70 member groups submitted a letter urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw their proposed revision to the definition of “Waters of the United States,” warning that the rule would dramatically weaken the Clean Water Act and put Great Lakes waters at risk.

This morning, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced the American Water Stewardship Act (H.R. 6422), a legislative package that included a 5-year reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition applauds this important step in the legislative process.