MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - With Michigan being surrounded by fresh water, many communities in the state gather their water from the Great Lakes. However, communities in the middle of the state, such as Meridian Township, gather their water from wells.

“That well water is brought into the central water conditioning plant. we soften it here and provide chemical treatment, and then distribute it to the two communities,” said Manager of the East Lansing-Meridian Water Sewer Authority Clyde Dugan

The authority recently received a grant of over $22,000 to help protect source water from contamination.

“One of our key concerns is that we keep those wells from becoming contaminated, so we can provide good safe drinking water at all times,” said Dugan.

The water and sewer authority has approximately 29 wells located throughout East Lansing and Meridian Township, and the grant will help prevent well contamination from surface water.

“Our wells are considered sensitive to contamination from surface water sources," said Dugan. "In other words, if there's a spill on surface water it could eventually get into the groundwater and cause contamination problems for the wells and well water coming here.”

The grant will focus on funding prevention methods, which is much more cost effective than dealing with an already contaminated well.

“So instead of having to treat contamination, we actually prevent it from happening to begin with,” said Dugan.