PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Health officials in Portage have announced that routine State testing of the municipal water system has revealed the presence of a low level of polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
Officials say that the well in question is a city municipal water well, which was confirmed at 16 parts per trillion (ppt). It has been consistently tested since 2018, when a level of 13 ppt was discovered, as has the entire Portage water supply since 2013.
However, this is still marked below the lifetime health advisory level of 70 ppt established by the EPA. The EPA says that long-term exposure below 70 ppt is not expected to be harmful to citizens.
PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals,” since they take a long time to break down in the environment. They have been linked to a number of health problems, such as thyroid disease.
In this case, the chemical discovered was PFOA, a type of PFAS.
Due to the low level of PFOA detected in the well, Portage city officials say that there is no cause for concern at this time, and that the well will continue to be monitored by officials and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) as usual.
This well is not linked to the 25 private wells that tested positive for PFAS chemicals back in February, which were linked to contamination from South Westnedge Park. The park had previously been used as a municipal landfill.
Further information about PFAS in Kalamazoo County can be found online at the County Government website or the State of Michigan website.
