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Grand Haven PFAS levels below 'actionable level'

Exposure to PFAS has been linked in human studies to some forms of cancers, thyroid disorders, elevated cholesterol and other diseases.
Credit: MDEQ
There are 34 known sites of PFAS contamination across Michigan, as a statewide study has reached its halfway point.

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (Grand Haven Tribune) - Drinking water from the Northwest Ottawa Water System is well below the “actionable” level, according to test results released Wednesday.

Testing the local water system for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) found 4 parts per trillion (ppt) of each substance, for a combined 8 ppt.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s threshold for a health advisory is 70 ppt.

Independent testing was conducted ahead of a statewide study on PFAS in drinking water — the first of its kind — which reached its midpoint earlier this month. That testing will take place at NOWS in September.

Testing conducted in 2014 and 2015 under an EPA-mandated program did not find traces of PFAS at the Grand Haven treatment plant. The recent study was conducted to give residents an updated picture, NOWS Manager Joe Vander Stel said, with more accurate testing now available.

“We’ve had people questioning and residents concerned and a few phone calls,” he said. “It’s one of those things that’s being talked about quite a bit.”

The new Michigan Department of Environmental Quality program can measure down to 2 ppt. One ppt is equivalent to one grain of sand in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Concentrations of 1,587 ppt were found in the city of Parchment’s water system in July. A drinking water advisory issued for the Kalamazoo County city’s residents was lifted Monday.

Testing at the former site of the Wolverine World Wide tannery in Rockford in 2017 found 532,000 ppt. High levels from 14 different compounds were then found in foam at the Rockford Dam.

Testing in Grand Rapids this month found 3.19 ppt, which is 22 times below the actionable level. Vander Stel said he expected NOWS results would be slightly higher.

“If you’re at the shore of the Grand River where it empties into Lake Michigan, you’re going to anticipate something,” he said. “It’s the largest tributary in Michigan and it’s inevitable you’re going to trace something.”

Exposure to PFAS has been linked in human studies to some forms of cancers, thyroid disorders, elevated cholesterol and other diseases.

NOWS will await results from statewide testing to determine if regular PFAS testing is necessary, Vander Stel said.

The health advisory is for lifetime consumption of the chemicals, Vander Stel added. PFAS testing is expensive, he said, and those who use well water should prioritize testing for more common contaminants such as bacteria, nitrates and nitrites.

Perfluorinated chemicals are a large group of chemicals that are fire-resistant and repel oil, stains, grease and water. They are commonly used in firefighting foam, stain repellents, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and fast-food wrappers. PFAS chemicals do not break down in the environment, and move easily into water.

Tap water leaving the NOWS plant was tested by Eurofins Analytical. The treatment plant — which serves Grand Haven, Grand Haven Township, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Township and Crockery Township — draws water from two intake stations buried beneath the sand in Lake Michigan.

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