Substantial Public Health Risks Projects Grant

The goal of the Substantial Public Health Risk Project (SPHRP) grant program is to protect public and environmental health by addressing substantial public health risks resulting from wastewater treatment system failures and removing direct and continuous discharges of wastewater or raw sewage to surface water, groundwater, or land. The program was authorized by Public Act 53 of 2022 utilizing federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Fiscal Recovery Funds alongside previous state appropriations.

To be eligible, substantial public health risks had to be confirmed by EGLE via a signed administrative consent order or consent judgment, a local health department official determination, information provided in a recent National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application for failing sewage lagoons, or an EGLE determination of an immediate and substantial public health risk under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA). Priority was given to communities with existing consent orders or judgments, documented public health issues such as impacted drinking water wells or public contact risk, and consideration was given to population size and whether the applicant had received previous funding. Applicants were also required to comply with federal requirements including the Davis-Bacon Act and demonstrate financial audit compliance.

Eligible projects included planning, design, and construction activities addressing areas with direct and continuous discharges of raw sewage to surface or groundwater or land (including failing on-site or sewerage systems serving at least five homes), treatment system failures impacting or threatening a public drinking water source, or wastewater discharges creating substantial public health risks under NREPA.

Applications were submitted to the EGLE Water Resources Division / Water Infrastructure Funding and Financing Section (WIFFS) with appropriate technical documentation confirming the health risk. All funds under both the original state program and the ARPA appropriation have been fully awarded, and the program is currently closed to new applications.