"As some rural towns lose population and government funds shrink, some drinking water systems are one failure away from crisis."
"Throughout the Great Lakes region and across the U.S., water systems are aging. In some communities, this means water bills that residents can’t afford or water that’s unsafe to drink. It means that vulnerable systems are even more at risk in a changing climate. From shrinking cities and small towns to the comparatively thriving suburbs, the true cost of water has been deferred for decades.
As the nation prepares to pour hundreds of billions of federal dollars into rescuing water systems, the Great Lakes News Collaborative investigates the true cost of water in Michigan.
It’s a chilly day, but the sky is clear and the sun makes it seem just a little warmer than it actually is in Akron, a small town near the crook of Michigan’s “Thumb.” The village is surrounded by two huge installations of wind turbines, which can be seen extending to the horizon no matter which way you look.
“Which way am I going,” I asked my passenger, Marvin Hasso, Jr., as we pulled away from the Akron Village Hall to take a look at the town’s water tower and wells. "
Lester Graham reports for Michigan Radio and Circle of Blue May 3, 2022.
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