Water Sector News
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Great Lakes Water Authority Unveils 40-year Wastewater Plan
The Great Lakes Water Authority board of directors has adopted a regional Wastewater Master Plan to manage the wastewater system that serves 2.8 million people and spans 15,000 miles of pipes across 79 communities in southeast Michigan.
The 40-year plan is the result of collaboration among 100 stakeholders including the authority’s member partners, watershed advocacy groups, regulatory agencies, and others. The plan focuses on water quality and managing affordability through partnerships and collaboration.
“The Wastewater Master Plan is a true demonstration of the spirit of regional collaboration on which GLWA was established,” says Sue F. McCormick, CEO of the authority. “Pipes don’t know where one community ends, and another begins. This new plan is specifically designed to optimize the wastewater system based on need at the lowest cost for the region, as opposed to an individual system approach.
“It offers us tremendous opportunity to leverage the infrastructure the region has invested in to date and identify future investments and improvements that will continue to advance water quality in the region for decades to come.”
The plan takes into consideration public health and safety; preserving natural resources and the environment; maintaining reliable, high-quality service; and assuring the value of investment and contributing to economic prosperity.