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McBain Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Plant (McBain, Missaukee County)

Disclaimer: Web content may not be routinely updated on this page.

Please contact the Site Lead for the most up-to-date status of this site.

Disclaimer: Public and private municipal wastewater treatment plants do not produce or use PFAS.

These plants receive residential, commercial, and sometimes industrial wastewater that may contain PFAS. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are not designed to treat for PFAS, therefore PFAS may pass through the treatment system to surface waters (i.e., lakes, rivers, etc.) and groundwater. EGLE is actively working with these wastewater treatment plants to address PFAS. 

For more information, please see the Wastewater Workgroup page.

EGLE site lead

Kevin Wojciechowski, WojciechowskiK@Michigan.gov, 586-623-2948.

Background

The McBain Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is located at 261 North Cherry Street and is permitted to discharge 42,340,000 gallons of treated municipal wastewater per year. The treatment plant utilizes stabilization ponds that discharge to a spray irrigation area east of the lagoons. The treated wastewater is discharged to the ground under a state Groundwater Discharge Permit issued to the McBain Sanitary WWTP. The facility receives municipal wastewater from residential and commercial users in the city of McBain.

Groundwater samples were collected by EGLE's contractor in November 2022. The highest result was 20.9 ppt for PFOS (compared to 16 ppt) and 8.9 ppt for PFOA (compared to 8 ppt).

The groundwater flows in an east/northeast direction. At this time no surface water bodies appear to be impacted.

Content posted August 2023.

Site map

See an aerial view of the location of the site.

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Drinking water

Groundwater data indicated the PFAS groundwater plume is not leaving the WWTP property above criteria.

EGLE, DHHS, and local health evaluated drinking water well logs in the area and do not plan to sample nearby drinking water wells downgradient of the site.

Anticipated activities

EGLE will be asking for sampling of the entire WWTP groundwater monitoring well network for PFAS. EGLE will continue to work with local health, DHHS, and local officials to evaluate data as it is received and will reevaluate drinking water sampling if data indicates any risks to receptors.