Last week, Grand Traverse County took a major step forward in protecting its waters and residents by unanimously passing a countywide septic regulation. This landmark decision marks the first time the county has adopted rules to systematically evaluate septic systems near water bodies. While the regulation may appear modest in scope, its implications are profound…. Read more »
FLOW has developed model legislation to protect water quality, advance water equity, ensure that the waters of the State remain a public resource, and provide communities and water utilities with a steady source of funding to address water affordability and infrastructure needs. The key provisions of the legislation address long-standing, increasingly intractable problems of water… Read more »
What do you know about drinking water? Take the quiz at the bottom! It’s Drinking Water Week – a time to remember where your drinking water comes from, what the threats to your drinking water are, and what you can do about them. Despite today’s problems, public drinking water has come a long way. It… Read more »
A septic system is an underground wastewater treatment system for homes that are not connected to a city sewer system. When regularly pumped and maintained, a septic system efficiently manages the wastewater produced in a house. These systems generally work very well, and are “out of sight, out of mind.” But when a septic system… Read more »
Fremont, Michigan is a rural community in west Michigan’s Newaygo County, about an hour north of Grand Rapids. Since 2012 it has been home to a huge anaerobic digester, owned since 2017 by the Delaware-incorporated company Generate Upcycle, part of multi-billion dollar “clean energy” investment firm Generate Capital. Anaerobic digesters use bacteria to decompose organic… Read more »
FLOW (For Love of Water) has developed model legislation to protect water quality, advance water equity, ensure that the waters of the State remain a public resource, and provide communities and water utilities with a steady source of funding to address water affordability and infrastructure needs. The key provisions of the legislation address long-standing, increasingly… Read more »
The child who grew up in the natural wonderland of the Traverse City region is now the sage of the environmental community in Michigan. On Wednesday, February 26, FLOW founder Jim Olson, whose legal work transformed both the law and the landscape, turns 80. It’s a milestone that gives Jim the opportunity to look back,… Read more »
Nitrate pollution might not be a familiar term, but it could be affecting your drinking water more than you realize. Nitrates are a naturally occurring form of nitrogen found in soil and water, but human activities, particularly industrial agriculture, have significantly increased nitrate levels in rivers, lakes, and groundwater. This invisible, odorless, and taste-free contaminant… Read more »
This winter, areas downwind of the Great Lakes have received enormous amounts of lake effect snow. Can climate change be occurring when storms are piling up record snow? Yes – in fact, this phenomenon is entirely consistent with climate change models. Lake-effect snow develops when cold air moves over a relatively warm large body of… Read more »
Our programs Who we are Our story is about water. 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water – and the need to educate citizens and leaders about protecting the Great Lakes as a commons held in public trust now and for future generations. At FLOW (For Love of Water), we believe the enduring ideas… Read more »
