Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

People in the Great Lakes region are unprepared for smoke from forest fires worsened by intense drought and heat.

Decision needed soon for funds to remove toxic chemicals from drinking water.

Communities in Michigan and elsewhere in the Midwest are taking steps to guard against groundwater depletion, including some surprising places near the Great Lakes.

Big money is coming into Michigan, other states, but an expert says 'the elephant in the room is: where are the workers going to come from?'

Residents of Highland Park face $24 million in delinquent water bills.

Rivers and lakes are becoming saltier while law and practice limit effective responses.

The Great Lakes News Collaborative asked state and national experts how Michigan could break the cycle of underfunding and poor decision-making that has left water systems across Michigan in sorry shape.

Michigan is set to receive the federal infrastructure funds over the next five years, significantly boosting its lending capacity. The funds allow more communities to reinvest in essential public works without saddling residents with all the costs.

Data compiled by the Institute for Public Utilities at Michigan State University shows that water prices are climbing quickly — more quickly, until recent price spikes, than most other goods and services.

Federal and state governments begin to reverse course on underinvestment to address water’s true cost.

A growing number of Michigan households are burdened by high water bills, report finds.