IRON MOUNTAIN — Crystal Falls Township will receive a water system grant of $200,785 to identify or verify lead service lines in need of replacement, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy announced.

The process involves hydrovacing on either side of each curb stop and performing in-building investigations to document service line materials, EGLE said in a news release.

Hydrovacing equipment uses high-pressure water to cut and liquefy the soil, while simultaneously using a high-volume vacuum to remove the soil from the excavation. The work will also include restoration of hydrovaced locations to their original condition.

More than $23 million in MI Clean Water Plan grants were recently awarded to communities throughout the state, EGLE announced this week. Funding is through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund with support from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The vast majority of the new funding — $20 million — will go to the city of Escanaba for a project that includes water main replacement and water tank upgrades. In addition to upgrades to the south water tank and associated water main work in that area, water main replacement will take place in 12 district areas throughout the city, EGLE said.

In all, about 7,625 feet of Escanaba water mains will be replaced, including inoperable valves and hydrants. About 740 lead service lines will be replaced.

Elsewhere in the Upper Peninsula, the village of Calumet was awarded a grant of $247,000 to identify or verify lead service lines.

Since January 2019, Michigan has invested over $4 billion to upgrade drinking water, storm water, and wastewater facilities across the state, EGLE said.