The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) this week announced the results of its 2018 statewide PFAS sampling of all 1,114 public water systems, 461 schools that operate their own wells, and 17 tribal water systems. PFAS was not detected in 90 percent of these water supplies. Seven percent of systems tested detected very low levels of PFAS below 10 parts per trillion (ppt), and three percent of systems tested had PFAS levels between 10 and 70 ppt. Only the city of Parchment and one school had test results exceeding the U.S. EPA Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. The Parchment system has since been connected to Kalamazoo’s municipal water system, and the school is being supplied with bottled water until it installs a carbon filtration system later this year.
The $1.7 million study is the first of its kind in the nation. DEQ intends to expand its PFAS testing to childcare providers and other programs that operate their own wells. The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team will also pay for quarterly monitoring this year of municipal systems, schools, and daycares with PFAS levels above 10 ppt.
For more on Michigan’s efforts on PFAS, see here.
