Statewide Study on PFAS in Water Announced

Liz Gullett

May 25, 2018

The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) announced plans to conduct a state-wide study of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in public water supplies. The cost of the comprehensive study is $1.7 million. PFAS compounds are a group of emerging and potentially harmful contaminants used in thousands of applications globally including firefighting foam, food packaging, and many other consumer products.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) this week began sending out letters to Michigan’s 1,380 public water systems outlining the water testing study which will be administered by the DEQ. The goal is to complete the study by the end of 2018. In addition to public water systems, 461 schools that operate their own wells will be considered priority testing sites under the study. Roughly 75% of the state’s drinking water comes from public systems.

The state has already sampled water at more than 30 sites, including industrial, military, and landfill sites known to have used or disposed of PFAS-containing materials and acted to protect drinking water supplies. In addition, many larger water systems serving multiple communities already sample for PFAS.

MPART is helping to coordinate the state’s $23 million effort to locate PFAS contamination, identify sources, and oversee remediation activities aimed at protecting the state’s water resources and mitigating risks to the public.

For more information, please visit www.michigan.gov/PFASresponse.

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