GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Clean water is top of mind for many residents and leaders these days.
Tuesday night, Grand Rapids signed off on $60 million to improve its water infrastructure.
The city says $20 million will replace pumps at a substation. There is also money going towards lead lines and water mains.
The snow is melting, making conditions to get work done outside a little easier.
"I saw a crew, about four or five guys," Herman De Veries said.
He lives in Heritage Hill and has for the past year. Some signs read "water service repair" at the corner of Lafayette and Pleasant, where he lives.
"I heard from my landlord that we are going to have a lead line replaced and that was the first time I heard we had a lead line," De Veries said.
Grand Rapids is looking to replace more lines in the coming months; however, they need the money.
So, they're using bonds to fund projects.
"So, the $10 million is dedicated to the Booker Fund; that split strictly can only be used for less, or placements," Grand Rapids Water Systems Director Wayne Jernberg said.
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He says this new cash flow is going a long way to getting potential lead out of the ground.
"In the neighborhood of about 1,300 to 1,500 is what we're willing to spend with those types of dollars," Jernberg said.
Lead is a known neurotoxin that causes several health problems, including anemia, kidney and brain damage.
The state has mandated cities to replace all lead lines in 20 years. FOX 17 talked to Jernberg back in November about getting the job done.
"I'm giving you the same response I gave you before. It's hard for me to commit to say that we'll be able to get it done. Right now with additional funding sources, we're making pretty good progress," Jernberg said.
Jernberg says initial estimates put these projects several million dollars cheaper, but prices are going up like everything. Jernberg says that because of Michigan's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the city will see $12 million in loan forgiveness.
"That's the whole reason behind it, Matt, is we want to be able to utilize the right loan process. We can't simply cash on to all of our projects. So we're trying to identify sources of funding that don't turn into rates," Jernberg said.
If you live in Grand Rapids and would like to see if your home has potential lead lines from the street, click here.
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