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Roscommon Area Public Schools WWTP (Roscommon, Roscommon County)

Disclaimer
Web content may not routinely be updated on this page. Please contact the Site Lead for the most up-to-date status of the site.
Content posted June 2023.

Note: Public and private municipal wastewater treatment plants do not produce or use PFAS and provide a public service to the community. 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 or 616-215-4781.

Background

The Roscommon Area Public Schools WWTP, located at 175 West Sunset Drive, was constructed around 1993 and designed to handle 56,560 gallons of sanitary wastewater per day.  The sanitary wastewater comes from the three schools located in the district (elementary, middle school, and high school).  The wastewater goes through a primary aerated lagoon and is discharged to a secondary lagoon, that is then discharged via a spray irrigation area located east of the secondary lagoon.  The treated sanitary wastewater is discharged under a state Groundwater Discharge Permit issued to Roscommon Area Public Schools.

Three groundwater monitoring wells were sampled by EGLE in November 2022.  One well was non-detect, one well was below criteria, and the third well was 73.1 ppt for PFOA (compared to 8 ppt).

The groundwater flows to the east/northeast.  There are no nearby surface waters.

Roscommon Public School sample the drinking water quarterly.

Roscommon Area Public Schools WWTP map

Drinking Water Information

Based on the current groundwater and drinking water results being below criteria and non-detect down and side gradient to the spray irrigation area, the downgradient residential wells are not planned to be sampled at this time.  If new onsite results indicate residential wells could be impacted, sampling will be conducted.

Anticipated Activities

The Roscommon School District has hired an environmental consultant and has conducted additional groundwater sampling in May 2023 and will be conducting further groundwater sampling, install a new downgradient monitoring well, and gauging the monitoring wells to verify groundwater flow direction.  EGLE will continue to work with Roscommon Public Schools, DHHS, and Central Michigan Health Department to evaluate risks.