General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales Facility (Waterford Township, Oakland County)

Nicole Sanabria, SanabriaN@Michigan.gov or 517-281-7726.

General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales Facility (GM) is located at 5260 Williams Lake Road. The site was built in 1954 by the Pontiac Coach Company and acquired by GM in 1969. Historically GM conducted painting operations from 1969 to 1989, with an accompanying wastewater treatment system. These have since been decommissioned and removed. Current operations are limited to warehousing of parts. EPA has been working with GM since the 1980's on various clean-up activities.

In 2020, EPA requested GM sample for PFAS. PFAS was detected in groundwater monitoring wells. The highest result was 310 ppt PFOA. GM has installed additional downgradient monitoring wells to bracket known PFAS impacts near the water table. EPA is working with GM to address data gaps related to the PFAS release, including determining the extent of PFAS contamination in groundwater.

Soils at the site are primarily composed of sand and gravel with some clay. Some areas of the property have been filled in with sand to approximately 15 feet below ground. Groundwater flow is generally to the southeast, with the water table usually present ~10 feet below ground. Borings at the site show the sand and gravel extends at least 80 feet below ground. A deeper sand and gravel unit is the primary source of drinking water in the region. There are several small lakes and ponds on and near the property.

Content posted June 2022.

Most residents in the area are on private drinking water wells that are down deeper than where the known PFAS contamination has been detected. EPA and GM are currently evaluating the extent of the PFAS contamination and will determine if residential wells should be sampled.

EPA will coordinate with EGLE to request additional information from GM and determine next steps.