“Vermont leaders pioneer public trust principles to address systemic pollution and water quantity issues in this century. The MTBE case is groundbreaking, because it demonstrates how the public trust principles advocated and demonstrated FLOW’s projects will work for the Great Lakes and beyond, including addressing the toxic algae and algal blooms in Lake Erie, invasive… groundwater-rutland-herald/" title="ReadGood news about groundwater – Rutland Herald”>Read more »
Traverse City, Mich. — Flow Water Advocates opposes the proposed federal environmental budget, which includes major cuts to programs that protect clean water, public health, and the Great Lakes. “These budget cuts would jeopardize the water and systems that Michiganders and people throughout the Great Lakes region rely on,” said Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director of… Read more »
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form. What is your MOST important issue regarding the health and protections of the Great Lakes? * Keeping Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes Shutting down Line 5 Stopping factory farm pollution Protecting our groundwater Passing… Read more »
Download PDF Our invisible water crisis. Michigan faces a long-standing and largely invisible water quality crisis driven by failing septic systems. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) estimates that 330,000 of Michigan’s 1.3 million septic systems are currently failing. Untreated sewage is entering groundwater, rivers, and lakes at alarming rates. Studies… Read more »
By Dave Dempsey, Flow Senior Advisor My first memory of my nephew Michael comes from playing peekaboo. Using a toy with a see-through panel, I ducked in and out of view to his appreciative baby laughter. Pretty soon he was pulling the same trick on me. He was a quick learner. I would think of… Read more »
January 28, 2026 Lansing, Mich. – Today in the Michigan Senate, Sen. Sam Singh (D-28) introduced legislation to establish the state’s first-ever comprehensive framework for the oversight and maintenance of onsite wastewater treatment systems, also known as septic systems. The legislation (SB 771) will modernize Michigan’s outdated approach to septic system oversight, and protect the… Read more »
On January 5, 2026, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW), a group of organizations (including Flow Water Advocates) that are committed to protecting water resources and communities across the Great Lakes and the Midwest region, submitted comments to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to… Read more »
by Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director For fourteen years, Flow Water Advocates has stood on a simple, powerful truth: The waters of the Great Lakes belong to everyone—and must be protected for all time. Not just for this generation. Not just for human use. But for the entire living water cycle that sustains our region, our… Read more »
By Liz Kirkwood, Flow Executive Director This piece originally appeared in Bridge Michigan. Michigan’s abundant water has turned into a cash cow for private bottled water companies. They’re making large profits off publicly owned water, while paying next to nothing to the state for water extraction. At the same time, low- and middle-income families often… Read more »
Register for the hearing on February 3, 6pm: Register here Learn more about the proposed permit: Download the fact sheet Flow Water Advocates and commenters oppose Gratiot County CAFO expansion; request public hearing. DOWNLOAD: Comments and Request for Public Hearing on Draft Permit MI0060380, KB Farm LLC-CAFO (PDF) Traverse City, Mich. — Flow Water Advocates… Read more »
