LANSING, Mich., Aug. 27, 2026 — State Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Delta Twp.) introduced two new drain code reform bills to improve transparency and lower the costs of drain construction projects for Michigan residents. The bills focus on making the processes and potential outcomes of petitioning the drain commissioner more clear to affected residents, including through verbal and written notice that an approved project would mean special assessment costs would be automatically levied on households. And they aim to lower the overall costs of drain projects by allowing standard-sized drains to be replaced or upgraded with one of a larger diameter, offering a cheaper option for drain reconstruction.
“Michigan families deserve transparency about what petitioning the drain commissioner means and what those costs amount to. This legislation is deeply necessary to make certain that property owners are provided with information at the time of signature collection about how the drain project process would work from start to finish, including how costs are assessed. There is no world where anyone should be asked to sign on to a petition to approve a project that could financially affect them without that information being disclosed up front,” Witwer said.
The new reforms are just the latest Witwer has pursued to bring relief back home to the 1,900 Eaton County property owners financially burdened by the Bank Intercounty Drain Project, a $60 million reconstruction effort, of which Witwer has already secured $9.5 million for the community. In addition to co-sponsoring a separate package to modernize Michigan’s drain code and securing $5 million in relief as the former chair of the House Appropriations Committee last term, Witwer also helped bring home a $2.5 million grant through the Michigan Department of Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and secured $2 million in the FY26-27 state budget to offset costs this year.
“The financial burden of this project has been devastating for so many people who have done everything right to make a life for themselves in Eaton County. I’ve personally heard from neighbors about the shock they felt when they found drain assessments amounting to thousands of dollars in their mailboxes,” Witwer continued. “No one should have to go through that. I am continuing to exhaust every avenue to get our neighbors impacted by the Bank Intercounty Drain Project some relief from these costs, and to help make sure Michigan’s drain assessment processes are more fair and transparent to homeowners.”
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