Michigan Municipal League Review Magazine September/October 2023

The Case for a Statewide Water Fund

By Rich Bowman

W ater is a fundamental part of who we are as Michiganders. It’s in the name and identity of many of our communities, Big Rapids, Riverview, Lake City, and even Detroit, which in the original French means “a narrow strait of water.” And most counties in Michigan have a drain or water commissioner to manage the systems that deliver water to our homes. As a local official, you know how critical these water systems are. They provide an important service to all of us. Properly designed and maintained water infrastructure protects the health and integrity of over 62,000 lakes and ponds, 36,000 miles of lakes and streams, millions of acres of wetlands, four of the five Great Lakes, and our drinking water.

10 THE REVIEW

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2023