Great Lakes Drinking Water: A Gaps Analysis of Policy Regulation and Funding Mechanisms Supporting Safe, Affordable and Equitable Access to Drinking Water in Michigan and Wisconsin

Abstract

The Great Lakes, the world’s largest freshwater resource, provide abundant freshwater to the Midwest United States, despite record-setting drought throughout the Western United States. And yet situations like the lead poisoning crisis in Flint, Michigan, and the PFAS crisis affecting the entire country continue to threaten public health across the region. An analysis of federal, state, and local drinking water management policies focused on Michigan and Wisconsin will identify gaps and challenges that exist within the current management system that prevent all Midwesterners from enjoying safe, affordable and equitable access to drinking water. Through two case studies on either side of Lake Michigan, this analysis identifies specific opportunities for improvement in both funding and regulatory mechanisms that could be implemented to better guarantee safe drinking water in the region.