News Flash

The City of Sterling Heights was recently notified by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that it has been awarded a $2.4 million Stormwater, Asset Management and Wastewater (SAW) grant with a $444,444 local match. The funds will be utilized to complete several projects for the Department of Public Works.

According to Information Technology Director Steve Deon, the City applied for the SAW grant in November 2013. Hundreds of communities applied for the grant, Deon said, and only a small number were selected. The grant will help fund various technical DPW projects to include:

• Digitization of the storm, water and sanitary assets citywide.
• Upgrade and enhancements to the Geographical Information System (GIS).
• Purchase of the Cityworks asset management software.
• Cleaning and video inspection of storm and sanitary systems.

“This grant will allow DPW to upgrade our technology to better serve our residents in a more efficient and proactive way,” said Public Works Director Mike Moore. “It’s an exciting step in the right direction to modernize DPW’s workflow management.”
Among other benefits, Moore said the storm, water, and sanitary assets will all get digitalized and the GIS will get upgraded.

“DPW will start using Cityworks for asset management and work order tracking,” Deon said. “This grant will allow DPW to consolidate several existing legacy applications into Cityworks. Also, a portion of the City’s larger-diameter sewer system lines will be cleaned and camera viewed.”

The DEQ’s SAW grant Grants are available up to $2 million per municipality with match of 10 percent for the first million and 25 percent for the second million.
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Community Relations Director Bridget Doyle at bdoyle@sterling-heights.net or at (586) 446-2471.