Detroit Evening Report: EGLE rolls out new program to ensure safe drinking water in schools
Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” podcast.
A filtered water fountain and bottle filling station in a school.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) announced this week that it will soon roll out a plan to keep lead out of school drinking water in the state.
Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
The program is part of the Filter First legislation passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last October. The bipartisan legislation directs $50 million in funding and other resources to support the installation of lead-reducing water stations at schools and child care centers throughout the state.
“Every parent wants to make sure their children are safe, and the Filter First bills will protect access to clean drinking water at school,” said Whitmer in a news release. “With Filter First, we are taking action so all our kids have access to safe drinking water so they can focus on learning in class.”
Schools must develop a water management plan, install filters and test water annually as part of the program. Child care centers must follow the same protocols and test their water every two years, according to EGLE. It’s an additional measure to protect children from getting lead exposure, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says lead is unsafe at all levels in children.
EGLE and other organizations will host a webinar about the program on April 10 with guidance and a public comment period.
Other headlines for Friday, Feb. 9, 2024:
- Arab American leaders met with senior Biden officials in Dearborn yesterday to discuss their concerns leading up to the presidential election.
- Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller addressed concerns over a chemical spill in a creek in Warren on Thursday.
- A new grocery store by the community-owned Detroit People’s Food Co-op is set to open in May.
- Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and city council members gathered this week to open a job portal for 8,000 youth to get summer jobs.
Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
