water

Flint is giving its poorer residents a break on their water bills

Steve Carmody — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:04:00 +0000

The city of Flint is reducing the water bills for its poorest residents.

Beginning July 1^st, city homeowners who already qualify for Flint’s poverty exemption for property taxes will get a $53 break on their monthly water bills. According to the city of Flint:

In this morning's Michigan news headlines. . .

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:23:59 +0000

Lower lake levels-- the good and bad news

Water Hill 2012: Creating a new spring music tradition in Ann Arbor (Video)

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:02:24 +0000

This past Sunday marked the second successful Water Hill Music Festival.

Named after the west-side Ann Arbor neighborhood that hosts it, the festival features local musicians playing on porches while visitors wander and listen.

While some acts were invited by friends who lent their stoops for the afternoon, many live in the neighborhood and simply took the opportunity to show off their musical talents to the community.

Take a look at the video below to hear from a few of the bands and see the crowds of kids, parents and dogs enjoying music and sunshine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEKL-D6rG_A&list=UUiO61Z2BTd18ovzJ4syJJpQ&index=1&feature=plcp

Massive Lake Huron water pipeline moving forward

Mark Brush — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:45:33 +0000

There's a plan for the third biggest Great Lake, Huron, to be tapped by a 72 to 78 inch pipeline.

The Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA) is planning to start construction on a pipeline that will carry Lake Huron water to areas around the I-69 corridor of Michigan's Thumb area.

(Karengnondi is a old Petan Indian word meaning "lake.")

The KWA is made up of officials from Flint, Lapeer, Genesee County, Lapeer County, and Sanilac County.

The Flint Journal reports that Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright said the county has started designing the "massive intake to draw water from Lake Huron," and that ground should be broken on the new water pipeline project by fall.

"We are starting the design of the intake," which will allow for construction on that piece of the $600 million pipeline project, Wright said.

The drain commissioner said the intake itself, which is expected to cost about $30 million, will take longer to finish than any other part of the project, and "the design requirements are the same whether any community drops out (of the project) or not."

The City of Flint, initially a partner in the project, might be forced to step aside because of its financial situation.

On it's website, the KWA says the pipeline is being built to "avoid increased water rates from the City of Detroit, which could increase by up to 15% per year."

MSU Study: Minorities pay more for water in Michigan

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:20:48 +0000

A new study indicates racial minorities pay more for water and sewer service than whites in Michigan.

Michigan State University researchers looked at what people across the state paid for water and sewer service in 2000. Basic economic theory predicts that rural residents would pay the most for such services.

But the researchers found precisely the opposite to be true. Their results show that people in urban centers—with large minority populations—paid the most.