In late 2017 through 2018, 16 residents in the Algoma Township Russell Ridge neighborhood sampled their own drinking water wells for PFAS and shared those results with EGLE. Results were below the 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS (the drinking water standard at the time), with the highest result being 18.2 ppt for PFOA. In January 2019, EGLE resampled six of the 16 houses that privately tested their well and sampled an additional well not previously tested for PFAS. These seven (7) wells were selected for sampling based on their geographic location and well depth, to verify if the private sampling results were representative of actual groundwater conditions. Results indicated that there was PFOA in some of the drinking water wells, the highest concentration being 15 ppt for PFOA.
EGLE has continued sampling residential and commercial drinking water wells in this area since this time. Residential properties with detections of PFAS have been offered point-of-use filters by local and state health departments.
In 2023, EGLE installed nested groundwater monitoring wells in the sampling area. Sampling of these monitoring wells has identified PFAS in groundwater at multiple depths. A specific source of the groundwater contamination has not been identified.
Note: The City of Cedar Springs Historic Wastewater Treatment Lagoons property and the nearby Current Discharge Fields property have separate, ongoing groundwater investigations, and collectively make up one MPART site. Visit the Cedar Springs Historic Wastewater Treatment Lagoons and Current Discharge Fields MPART site investigation page for additional information.
The information related to area residential drinking water sampling included on this AOI website was previously included as part of the City of Cedar Springs Historic Waste Water Treatment Lagoons and Current Discharge Fields MPART page; however, a separate investigation has been designated for these impacted residential wells because the source(s) of PFAS causing the residential well contamination have not been determined.
EGLE, DHHS, and local health have reviewed drinking water well logs and developed a plan to sample identified drinking water wells. Identified well owners received a letter in the mail requesting access to sample drinking water, as well as door to door canvassing. To date, 287 drinking water wells have been tested for PFAS in the area. Of those, 91 wells exceed criteria for one or more PFAS compound, 102 wells had detections of one or more PFAS compounds, and 94 wells were non-detect. Residential properties with detections of PFAS have been offered point-of-use filters by local and state health departments.
There are no plans to expand the private drinking water well sampling area further at this time.
Leah Gies, GiesL1@Michigan.gov or 616-215-4781
