State Rep. Mark Tisdel today said a new state grant will support local efforts to ensure clean, quality drinking water in Rochester Hills.

The city of Rochester Hills was recently awarded a $707,180 Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).

“Water may be easier to access right in our homes than ever, but we can’t take water quality for granted,” said Tisdel, of Rochester Hills. “As they make sure our water is clean and safe to drink, Rochester Hills officials will be aided by new state resources.”

Grants from the DWAM program primarily help maintain clean drinking water in accordance with EGLE’s Lead and Copper Rule. The rule is designed to reduce the presence of lead and copper in the water, typically originating from lead and copper pipes.

Rochester Hills intends to use resources from the grant to verify the material of water service line pipes. The city also plans to use grant funding to evaluate large valves, pipes and mains — a beginning stage of its effort to craft a maintenance and rehabilitation program for these major components of the city’s water infrastructure.

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