Flint Receives $77.7M In Federal Funds For Water Infrastructure

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Flint, Michigan Receives Millions In Funds For Ongoing Water Crisis

Flint, Michigan continues to gain some much needed help following their water crisis.

According to mlive.com, the remaining $77.7 million of federal funding allocated to the city is going towards improvements in water infrastructure.

The money is coming from a $120 million loan that was allocated to Flint back in March 2017 through the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016.

The remaining funds were given to Flint by the state of Michigan, however, Flint’s Director of Public Works Rob Bincsik mentioned that the money is “not new funding.”

“While we grateful for this funding it’s important to understand its not new funding,” Bincsik said. “The federal government awarded this funding and is utilizing the MDEQ’s Drinking Water Revolving Fund as the mechanism to disperse it to the City of Flint.”

Flint has been suffering from a water crisis since 2014, and it’s resulted in criminal investigations.

Projects the federal loan will contribute to include the completion of a secondary water source pipeline, as well as other improvements.

“These projects will help the short and long term sustainability of the water system in the city of Flint, but as stated in the Water Distribution Optimization Plan the water system needs in excess of another $300 million in capital improvements over the next 20 years,” Bincsik said.

Thus, there’s still A LOT of work to be done.