February 10, 2021 3:30 a.m.

On Tuesday, Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the City of Detroit is receiving a $1 million grant to support the rebuilding of the city’s water system, which was destroyed by the Lionshead Fire in September of 2020, during the state’s unprecedented wildfire season.

Merkley said when he went to Detroit to see up close the damage of the fire, “I saw an unfathomable amount of destruction and heard heartbreaking stories of loss – loss of life, homes, and an entire community as we knew it”. Merkley said rebuilding the water system and restoring critical water services is a critical step, but he knows there will be plenty more to do.

Wyden said, “I’m glad these essential infrastructure resources have been secured to rebuild the water infrastructure and know full well there’s much more to be done”.

Detroit Mayor Jim Trett said the grant will provide some much-needed support for critical repairs to the water system.

The grant is being administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program.