CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A new bipartisan bill in Congress would direct one billion dollars toward upgrading water systems nationwide to address contaminants like PFAS, but what that would mean for Cascade Township neighbors dealing with the chemical remains unclear.
PFAS concerns linger in Cascade Township
Cascade Township neighbors have raised ongoing concerns about PFAS in their water, with many navigating health questions, filtration systems, and uncertainty about what comes next. Reverse osmosis systems, one of the technologies the bill aims to fund at the utility level, have come up repeatedly in the community, with some neighbors considering spending thousands of dollars to install them in their own homes.
"It gives us a lot of emotions. It's really scary. And you know, we all have really young kids," said Ashley Schaefer, a Cascade Township neighbor, in December 2025.
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A bipartisan push for federal action
The bill called the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, was introduced March 19 by Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, who co-chair the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force.
It would create a five-year federal grant program to help water utilities deploy advanced treatment technologies, such as granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis, to remove difficult pollutants like PFAS. Those same technologies also help prevent harmful algal blooms that threaten the Great Lakes.
Each day, wastewater treatment plants process tens of billions of gallons of wastewater nationwide. As new contaminants emerge, many communities face steep costs to install the advanced technologies needed to keep water safe.
Fitzpatrick's office said the legislation is designed to deliver more than just acknowledgment of the problem.
"Communities confronting PFAS contamination need more than recognition of the problem — they need real tools, real investment, and a federal partner prepared to meet the challenge with the urgency it demands," his office said in a statement.
Stevens said Michigan cannot address the crisis without federal support.
"We know in Michigan our pride is our water and our stewardship of the freshwater assets in the Great Lakes," Stevens said. "We also need to do cleanup."
"We can't go it alone, and we need federal partnerships," she added.
How funding would be distributed
Specifically, the bill would:
- Authorize $1 billion over five years for advanced wastewater treatment projects across the country, covering up to 50% of project costs.
- Direct at least 49% of funding to disadvantaged communities, including rural communities, and waive cost-share requirements for those recipients.
- Cap administrative costs at 1% for the EPA and participating states.
- Launch a national study evaluating how effectively advanced treatment technologies remove contaminants such as PFAS.
If passed, EPA would allocate funding to states, which would then support eligible local projects through subgrants. Communities would be required to apply, and competition for dollars is expected — though Fitzpatrick's office noted the bill is structured to ensure that need, not just capacity, helps drive access.
Disadvantaged communities at the front of the line
Stevens said the bill is designed with equity in mind.
"We want to make sure that disadvantaged places can get a leg up, that they don't just have to pay for the mistakes of others," she said.
For neighbors currently living with PFAS concerns, Fitzpatrick's office offered a direct message: "No family should have to wake up each day wondering whether the water in their home is safe. That is not a burden any community should be left to carry alone, and it is not a challenge the federal government should meet with delay or indifference."
Could this mean lower water bills?
For neighbors concerned about rising water bills, Stevens said covering a significant share of project costs could provide relief.
"If it's to tackle the grocery bill and lower the cost of food, if it's efforts that I've just introduced to lower energy bills, and in this instance, freeing up some of those fixed costs could absolutely lead to something along those lines," Stevens said. "I want to save Michigan taxpayers money, and I want to utilize the federal government to meet a need right here in our state."
Stevens said she hopes Cascade Township takes advantage of the funding if the bill passes.
"We'd love to see Cascade Township apply for these dollars, and this is a bill that saves the taxpayers," she said.
Michigan says it's ready to benefit
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said it welcomes the potential federal support. In a statement, EGLE said it "welcome[s] any type of federal funding to address PFAS contamination in the State," adding that Michigan does have wastewater treatment plants that would benefit from the funding. However, with the bill still pending, it remains too early to know which specific communities would see an impact.
What happens next
As for timing, Fitzpatrick's office cautioned that how quickly communities see an impact will depend largely on how fast EPA issues guidance and how efficiently states move funds through their application and award processes. The goal, however, is to help communities move faster toward real solutions, especially where cost has been the biggest barrier.
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