Benton Harbor talks water concerns and economic opportunities

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BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – City leaders held a workshop Tuesday to discuss the future of water management.

Mayor Marcus Muhammad invited the Freshwater Lab to lead the community conversation.

“We are really interested in all the ways we can transform this part of the world from being the rust belt as people call it somewhat negatively to being the water belt,” says Freshwater Lab founder Rachel Haverlock.

Some neighbors expressed concerns over pollution and aging infrastructure.

City manager Darwin Watson says parts of the water system are over 100 years old. Repair costs are exacerbated since the system was built for a population three times as large as the city’s current population of just over 10,000.

He says the water is tested every day and assures that the tap water is perfectly safe to drink.

Freshwater Lab encourages people to find out where their water is coming from and what is in it. Click here for more tips.

Mayor Muhammad says he also wants to focus on how the city can take advantage of Lake Michigan’s potential economic opportunities.

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