BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with Benton Harbor residents Tuesday following the all-hands-on-deck executive directive she signed last week.
Governor Whitmer reassured community members of efforts to replace all of Benton Harbor’s lead service lines in a span of 18 months, while urging the state Legislature to fund the project with an investment of $11.4 million, according to the Michigan governor’s office.
“Every Michigander deserves safe drinking water,” says Governor Whitmer. “Our work will build on the executive directive I signed last week to pursue an all-hands-on-deck approach to protect access to safe drinking water right now and make lasting investments in water infrastructure.”
The governor adds, “We will not rest until every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe.”
We’re told it will cost a total of $30 million to replace all of the city’s lead service lines and that $18.6 million have been allocated to the project so far with combined funding from the 2022 state budget, the MI Clean Water plan, and the EPA-issued Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act grant.
