BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM)- Officials with the City of Battle Creek say they have identified a drinking water standard violation affecting water customers in Battle Creek, Springfield, Emmett Township, and portions of Pennfield Township.
Impacted customers will receive a letter from the city’s Water Division this week or early next week with more information. The letter will also be available on the city’s website, battlecreekmi.gov.
Quarterly testing from February showed that total trihalomethanes (TTHM) levels in the water system exceed the standard of 80 parts per billion (ppb). This average was calculated over the past 12 months.
In a news release Friday, the city said the rise in TTHM levels is not an immediate health emergency and residents do not need to boil water or take other corrective actions.
The release says prolonged exposure to high levels of TTHM over many years may affect the liver, kidneys, or central nervous system, and increase cancer risk. Although no precautions are recommended, anyone with a compromised immune system, are an infant, or are elderly should consult your healthcare provider.
The city says the exceedance is likely due to drilling and aquifer testing new wells at the Verona Well Field, a project that began two years ago, with well drilling starting last August.
At the recommendation of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), to keep drinking water safe from bacteria, the city used additional disinfectants which have likely resulted in higher TTHM levels. In December 2024, the city identified a TTHM exceedance affecting only the Emmett Township portions of the public water system and notified those affected customers. Battle Creek’s Utility Administrator, Perry Hart, said it’s not surprising to see the increase in TTHMs at all sampling points in the municipal water supply.
“Our existing well network is aging and showing signs of deterioration, which is why our well field rehabilitation project is so critical to complete. We need a reliable water source and secure infrastructure to use it,” Hart said. This project is expected to be completed, with all new wells operational, by the end of 2025.
The city is working with the State of Michigan to monitor the situation and monitor the situation and reduce TTHM levels as quickly as possible. The process will take up to 12 to 18 months to complete.
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