March 2019 Acknowledgments We are incredibly grateful to all the individuals who shared their expertise, ideas, and opinions with us throughout the course of this project. Project Team: Lorri Cameron, Senior Environmental Epidemiologist, Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program at MDHHS Claire Karner, Beckett & Raeder, Associate Planner Marisa Laderach, Beckett & Raeder, GIS Specialist Rowan Brady, Beckett & Raeder, Intern Aaron Ferguson, Program Manager, Climate & Health Adaptation Program at MDHHS Kaitlyn Kiessling, Private Drinking Water Project Manager at MDHHS Collaborators: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Onsite Wastewater & Wellhead Protection Teams University of Michigan Blue Communities student group Project Advisors: Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director, FLOW Grenetta Thomassay, Watershed Policy Director, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Climate and Health Program is helping state and city health departments prepare for the specific health impacts of climate change that their communities will face. This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number I NUE 1EH1324, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not neces- sarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the US Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program The Michigan Climate and Health Program (MICHAP) of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) provided funding for this project through their CDC grant while also providing oversight and technical guidance. This report does not necessarily represent the official views of MDHHS. A CHANGING CLIMATE: MANAGING WATER FOR HEALTH | 2 Key Informants: Ann Baughman, Associate Director, Freshwater Future Kyle Anderson, Kalkaska County Time of Transfer Program, District Health Department 10 Clay McNitt, Health Department Sanitarian, Benzie- Leelanau District Health Department Len Allgaier, Manufacturing Excellence, Leelanau Clean Water Dave Cotton, Environmental Quality Analyst, MDEQ Onsite Wastewater Program Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director, FLOW Dave Dean, Rural Health Administrator , Washtenaw County Marcy Hamilton, Deputy Executive Director/Senior Planner, Health Department Southwest Michigan Planning Commission Erin Schlutow, Zoning Administrator , Lyon Township Mark Wyckoff, MSU Professor - Emeritus, Planning & Zoning Center, Land Policy Institute Grenetta Thomassay, Watershed Policy Director, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council Nicholas Leach, Zoning Administrator , Negaunee Township Jason Berndt, Environmental Quality Analyst, MDEQ Rebecca Esselman, Watershed Planner , Huron River Wellhead Protection Grant Program, Source Water Watershed Council Protection Regina Young, Environmental Health Director , Barry-Eaton Jeremy Hoeh, Environmental Health Programs Unit County District Health Department Supervisor, MDEQ Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance Robert Karner, Lake Association Biologist , Glen Lake Division Association John Jarver, Environmental Commission, Meridian Robert Wes , Public Works Director , Hartland Township Township Ruth Kline-Robach, Outreach Specialist Department John Paquin, Program Manager MWPP , City of Kalamazoo of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University Karla Kasten, Zoning Administrator, Village of Kaleva Institute for Water Research Kathleen Gardner, Environmental Quality Analyst, MDEQ Scott DeVries, City Engineer / Director of Public Works, City Private & Type III Drinking Water of Williamston Kelly Hon, Source Water Protection Specialist, Michigan Steve Law, Capacity Programs Manager , Michigan Rural Water Association Association of Conservation Districts Kris Olsson, Watershed Ecologist, Huron River Watershed Tom Fountain, Benzie County Environmental Health Council Director , Benzie-Leelanau County District Heath Department Kristine Rendon , Environmental Quality Analyst, MDEQ Onsite Wastewater Program Tom Zimnicki, Agriculture Policy Director, Michigan Environmental Council A CHANGING CLIMATE: MANAGING WATER FOR HEALTH | 3 Executive Summary With support from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Climate and Health Adaptation Program, this project engaged local units of government and policy makers with the goal of better protecting drinking water sources, especially in the case of more frequent and severe rain events from climate change. The focus of this project was on evaluating local ordinances for private wells and septic systems and wellhead protection ordinances for municipal groundwater sources as well as increasing the awareness about ways local units of government can be more protective of surface and groundwater sources. Both types of ordinances provide benefits to communities from a public health perspective. Through this effort, the project team conducted numerous stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions, and public presentations. A stakeholder survey was administered, a comprehensive inventory of existing ordinances was conducted, and an interactive mapping platform was developed to help local units of government better understand their risks and policy options related to local septic and wellhead protection ordinances. Key deliverables include a project website, an educational story map, an inventory and analysis of existing local ordinances, and preliminary policy recommendations for local units of government. The final chapter of this report highlights some of the key recommendations the project team identified as next steps moving forward. The recommendations can be divided into four categories: (1) ordinances; (2) outreach and education; (3) master planning; and (4) better data. A comprehensive approach to developing and adopting protective and comprehensive statewide legislation is needed to ensure all Michigan’s citizens and critical resources are healthy. However, communities should explore all options available to them. While there does not appear to be a one-size-fits-all approach to local ordinances that protect drinking water, through interviews and a thorough review of existing ordinances, the project team identified a series of best practices related to point of sale septic inspection ordinance and wellhead protection ordinances. Education was a recurrent theme. Educating local officials about policy options related to source water protection is challenging but critical. Presentations at local conferences and distribution of existing educational materials will go a long way in raising awareness of the importance of source water protection. From a master planning standpoint, the importance of integrating source water protection into the community visioning process cannot be understated. By making water quality and water protection part of a larger community conversation, water can be established as one of the community pillars. The desire for more and better data was a them that came out in many discussions over the course of this process. In some instances, the data is already available, but has not been widely adopted. In an effort to blend policy and technical information, an educational story map was developed, and after a several iterations and edits, the mapping platform is online and available to the public (www. managingwaterforhealth.org). Variables that were mapped were carefully considered with the hopes of informing local officials from an introductory standpoint. The material selected and the way it is presented were all a part of a larger plan to inform, rather than overwhelm, local officials - especially including those with no prior knowledge about water systems or threats to their respective water sources. Due to the exploratory nature of this project, much was learned along the way, and the process and deliverables shifted as the project progressed. The goal was to provide recommendations specific enough to improve local ordinances while still engaging stakeholders in a broad way to discuss issues related to source water protection. The project team will continue to look for opportunities to engage with stakeholders to release and promote this information. A CHANGING CLIMATE: MANAGING WATER FOR HEALTH | 4 Chapter 1: Introduction Strategic Plan.1 With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Climate and Health Local units of government and land use planners make Progrram2, MDHHS has been working to build a climate- many decisions that impact community health. Many of resilient public health system for Michigan at the state, local the most important land use decisions occur at the local health department, and community levels since 2010. Their level, yet public health outcomes are frequently overlooked 2016-2021 Strategic Plan sets the following overarching in discussions of the built and natural environment. With outcome goals that guide community outreach and health support from the Michigan Department of Health and interventions: Human Services Climate and Health Adaptation Program, this project engaged local units of government and policy 1. Climate change is recognized as a public health issue makers with the goal of better protecting drinking water and is integrated into public health practice. sources, especially in the case of more frequent and severe 2. Public health agencies and stakeholder organizations rain events from climate change. have the tools, resources,