Rep. Beth Griffin, R-Mattawan, continues to help Michigan communities improve their water systems with a measure recently signed into state law.

The new law will simplify and streamline the process for communities accessing low-interest state loans to safeguard drinking water, upgrade wastewater facilities and make other improvements to their water infrastructure. House Bill 5890 is part of a bipartisan plan signed by Gov. Whitmer after recent approval by the Michigan Legislature.

“This bipartisan package signals a victory for small towns that often face significant barriers to receiving dollars available in the State Revolving Funds to repair their old water and sewer lines,” Griffin said. “These bills streamline the process to apply for and receive funding and communities will see these water infrastructure projects processed more efficiently. This package represents the culmination of years of bipartisan work, and I am proud to have worked alongside Reps. David Martin and Sara Cambensy to make this common-sense legislation work for all of our communities.” 

The new laws relate to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which are comprised primarily of federal resources. Communities often decided to avoid using the funds because the application process was outdated, complex and costly – particularly for rural communities with smaller-scale projects. Communities instead have opted for private bonding or other financing methods that ultimately can be more expensive.

Griffin’s new law will allow communities to use more types of documentation in the application process, avoiding the need for costly engineering studies. The state also will update its eligibility and project scoring processes as part of Griffin’s plan.

Griffin – in her final year in the House of Representatives – has made clean water a top priority throughout her tenure.

She secured more resources to address PFAS concerns in Southwest Michigan and across the state. And last year, Griffin sponsored a new state law to help municipal water systems that are becoming more energy efficient capitalize on the cost savings through the state revolving funds.

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