“Drinking water in Macomb County’s New Baltimore and Mount Clemens has tested positive for contamination, according to notices issued by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality this week.
The contamination, currently at levels that aren’t believed to pose any significant danger, is related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or PFCs, described as the MDEQ as “a suite of chemicals historically used in thousands of applications throughout the industrial, food, and textile industries.”
Letters notifying the communities of the presence of PFAS were issued on March 2, describing the results of water tests conducted on groundwater and treated drinking water in January.
‘I want to assure the residents of the city that their water is safe to drink and that a boil water advisory has not been issued as there is no need’ New Baltimore Mayor John Dupray said in a statement issued Friday. ‘I will be attending a meeting with the MDEQ early next week to discuss this issue in greater detail. We strive to provide the highest quality water possible and will continue to do so.’
The exact source of the contamination was unknown, but believed to have originated in Lake St. Clair.
Ira Township in St. Clair County has also been notified of the presence of PFAS in its drinking water.
The localities are near Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which has been testing for PFAS contamination related to past use of AFFF firefighting foam.
PFAS was detected in 2017 surface water samples from the Clinton River near the base.
Total PFAS in finished water was 7.6 parts-per-trillion (ppt) in Ira Township; 3.6-ppt in Mount Clements; and 7.2-ppt in New Baltimore. The EPA health advisory level for PFOS and PFOA is 70-ppt.”
Read the full article by Gus Burns