Water Quality
A look into GLWA’s water quality standards, testing, and treatment practices.
The Crisis Beneath Us
Access to safe, reliable water is foundational to daily life for Michigan’s 10 million residents, its visitors, and its businesses of every size. The infrastructure that delivers it—tens of thousands of miles of pipe, pumps, and treatment plants—sits buried out of sight and largely out of mind. Much of it was built in the first half of the 20th century and is now reaching or exceeding the end of its useful life. Independent estimates put Michigan’s 20-year water and wastewater investment need as high as $85 billion, a figure that has continued to grow even after accounting for recent federal support and one-time state of Michigan budget investments.
AN Urgent
Need FOR FUNDING
Understanding the urgent need to rebuild and modernize Michigan’s infrastructure, in January 2026 the Great Lakes Water Authority convened the Water Funding Task Force. Comprised of experts in water infrastructure funding and construction, the task force interviewed dozens of water utilities leaders in Michigan and across the nation and reviewed hundreds of reports to understand the extent of challenges facing utilities, the scope of the funding need, and how other states are approaching solving this critical issue.
The Crisis Beneath Us Report
GLWA’s The Crisis Beneath Us report summarizes the research from our Water Funding Task Force, as well as from leaders across the sector, demonstrating that the impact of the lack of investment is no longer a hypothetical outcome.
