FLINT, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder has awarded Flint $2 million to find leaks in city water lines and to replace a wastewater incinerator -- moves officials said will free up money for improving the quality of Flint water.

"The governor has recognized the opportunity to ... make investments in Flint," said Dan Wyant, director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. "Flint's drinking water is meeting" standards for safe water. "We're encouraged by the progress and hard work by the city (even though) there's a lot more to be done."

Flint's grants are part of the state's $8-million Financially Distressed Cities, Villages, and Townships Grant Program, and the city was among 11 municipalities to receive the funding.

Mayor Dayne Walling called the award "a down-payment on the investments that need to be made" in Flint and said improving the quality of water in the city will be a "long-term process."

Walling has estimated the Flint water plant and distribution systems need $50 million in upgrades in the next six years alone.

The $2 million grant comes as the city is in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act because of tests in May, August and November that showed a high level of total trihalomethanes in the water. Trihalomethanes -- or TTHM -- is a byproduct of the water chlorination process.

Even though the city has said the water tests have improved, residents have flooded City Hall with complaints about the smell, taste and color of water since the city began using the Flint River as its source of water in April.

State Rep. Sheldon Neeley said in a letter to the governor last week that his constituents "are on the verge of civil unrest" because of issues with water in the city, which charges customers more than any other public water system in Genesee County.

State officials have said Flint's water distribution system is old, leaky and over-sized, and the use of river water has contributed to problems with the appearance and hardness of water even though it is safe for most people to drink.

Walling asked Snyder for help in a Jan. 18 letter, laying out what he called the Flint Water Improvement Plan, including the $2 million -- the maximum award for a municipality -- under the distressed cities grant program announced today.

Walling also wants to increase the pace of capital improvements in the city's water system and has said Snyder has a special responsibility to Flint because emergency managers have run the city since 2011 and made the decision to use the river as a short-term water source.

The grants to Flint were announced today at the Haskell Community Center and were announced by Walling; Wyant; Harvey Hollins, director of the state's Office of Urban Initiatives; Wayne Workman, the state's deputy treasurer; Flint emergency manager Jerry Ambrose; and Neeley.

Neeley, who has asked for state forgiveness of some or all of a $20.7 million debt owed by the city to the Michigan Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund, called the grant a good first step by the state.

"I hope this will be the first of many," Neeley said of the awards.

The city's $900,000 leak detection grant will allow for the hiring of a contractor to perform a survey of Flint's water lines.

State officials said the city will receive a map of leak locations and an assessment of the severity of those leaks, and Ambrose said he hopes to begin the process of hiring a company to carry out the assessment soon.

Broken water lines are a massive problem for city, which estimates one-third of treated water in the system is wasted -- lost before it's ever delivered to customers. Hundreds of water line breaks last year contributed to problems ranging from sediment in water to bacteria growth.

The leak detection project will also provide data that will allow Flint to prioritize leak repair and will cover the cost of assessing the thickness of water pipe walls for a portion of the distribution system.

The incinerator grant will pay to shut down the current Water Pollution Control Facility incinerator, which doesn't meet current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards and which would cost an estimated $8.8 million to upgrade.

Funding will allow the city to construct new facilities that will allow waste to be disposed of in landfills instead.

State officials said municipalities are eligible for the grants awarded today if they are experiencing "probable financial stress" as defined by the state emergency manager law,

Funds can be used to pay for specific projects, services, or strategies that move a city, village, or township toward financial stability, according to a state news release.

Ron Fonger is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at rfonger1@mlive.com or 810-347-9963. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook orGoogle+.