United States Senate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2022
Contact: Molly Prescott (Merkley) – 971-203-6027
Contact: Hank Stern (Wyden) – 503-326-7539
Merkley, Wyden Announce $150,000 Coming to Detroit to Support Water Distribution Improvements.
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be awarding the City of Detroit $150,000 to help the city repair its drinking water distribution infrastructure, which sustained extensive damage during and after the 2020 Labor Day fires. This grant will help provide potable water to the community and support the rebuilding of the city’s water system, and builds on a previous USDA grant the City received in 2021 to fund an interim solution to the damage caused by the fires.
“Clean and dependable water is crucial for every community, and Detroit’s water system was devastated by the 2020 Labor Day fires,” said Senator Merkley. “This funding will help repair Detroit’s water infrastructure and will go a long way in helping the community build back stronger with more resilient infrastructure.”
“The destruction in Detroit from the 2020 Labor Day fires that tore through the Santiam Canyon left serious damage to the city’s water infrastructure,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified that Detroit will receive these federal resources for repairs that ensure residents and small businesses can count on water that’s clean, safe and reliable.”
The 2020 Labor Day wildfires and subsequent fire recovery activities severely stressed the already vulnerable older portion of the City’s water distribution system, resulting in significant leaks and issues in ensuring water delivery. This grant is funded by the USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant program, which helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water.
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