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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