Related — Day care owners want state to test for PFAS
Read the full article by Brady Gillum
“ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — State officials are investigating elevated levels of PFAS in the water at Grand Haven Area Public Schools’ Robinson Elementary.
Tests at the school on 120th Avenue north of Lake Michigan Drive in Robinson Township found the chemical at 144 parts per trillion, according to the Ottawa County Department of Public Health. That’s about double what’s considered safe for consumption.
The district says it was notified of the test results by the Michigan Department of Quality on Monday, at which point it switched students and staff to bottled water. A letter was sent to parents explaining the situation.
Autumn Zahir was picking up her preschooler when she heard the news. Her daughter was told she could no longer sip from the school’s drinking fountains.
‘She said that they gave them water bottles to drink from, but I don’t know how long this has been going on, but it’s concerning, for sure,’ Zahir said.
The DEQ is retesting the water to confirm the findings and the new results should come in Wednesday…
The source of the PFAS — a likely carcinogen that has also been linked to other illnesses including ulcerative colitis, thyroid problems, hypertension in pregnancy and high cholesterol — has not yet been determined…
Ingall said parents are welcome to keep their children home from school for the time being. Anyone with questions can contact him at 616.850.5000.
All the water used elsewhere in the district comes from the Northwest Ottawa Water System, which has been tested and not found to contain high levels of PFAS.”
Related — High PFAS levels found at Grand Haven elementary school