Village of Athens uses EGLE grant to strengthen its drinking water system

The Village of Athens is making significant progress toward long term planning in its drinking water system thanks to support from Michigan’s Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) Grant Program. The DWAM grant program has provided funding for communities to update and/or develop asset management plans and distribution system materials inventories to improve long-term water infrastructure planning.

For the community, the grant has been a “tremendous help in making Athens water better for residents,” according to Water Operator in Charge Kacie Brunner. The funding allowed the Village to update several foundational documents essential for safe and reliable water service. “Due to the receipt of the DWAM grant, the Village of Athens was able to update our emergency response plan, water reliability study, asset management plan, and capital improvement plan,” Brunner said.

This funding also supported building out a GIS system for tracking water system components that has become a daily tool across multiple departments. The village has built mapping layers to be used in its galvanized pipe and lead service line replacement efforts, as well as a dedicated layer that helps the fire department quickly identify the most effective hydrants for structure fires. Field staff can take photos using their smartphones and upload them directly into the system, allowing the village to continuously improve the accuracy of its infrastructure data.

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