QUINNESEC — The Breitung Township Board on Tuesday authorized pursuing grants and loans from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy for improvements to the East Kingsford water system.

Included in the upgrades are a new well and water tower, which would mean the township would no longer rely on the City of Kingsford for water. The estimated cost of the project is $5.1 million.

The township is also pursuing funding for the replacement of 368 lead service lines in East Kingsford at an estimated price of $3.6 million.

Scott Nowak of Coleman Engineering said the amount of funding available from EGLE can vary widely from year to year. Nowak said the same proposal can be submitted to the USDA for loans and grants available through them, although the USDA would not provide funds for the lead service line replacement.

Nowak said the township hopefully would receive about 20 to 30% of the $8.7 million in grants and the rest would be through low-interest loans. The township would have to prove the amount it charges for water could sustain operation costs plus the loan payment.

Treasurer Heather Lieburn pointed the reason the township can go after the state funding is because it has a certain percentage of low-income residents, so she questioned whether it would be fair to saddle them with water rate increases. If the funding came only in the form of loans, the current $17 fixed meter fee per month would have to rise to $55.

The proposal needs to be submitted by June 1 and the township would receive its preliminary score in August and a firm score in September. A decision on whether to accept a funding offer would have to be made in early October.

In other business, the board:

— Approved installing street lights along the U.S. 2 corridor in front of Home Depot, Storheims Family Restaurant and the First National Bank & Trust, at the cost of $19,685. Trustee Ben Peterson voted against the street lights, noting the cost and that he thought other areas in the township needed lighting more.

— Authorized hiring Cy Olson as temporary summer help for the public works department at a rate of $17.31 an hour.

— Approved $500 to the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 50 for their upcoming Fourth of July fireworks event at Millie Hill in Iron Mountain.