National Drinking Water Database
Michigan
926 systems serving 6,710,306 people
This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Michigan, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.
Chemicals |
Water Utilities |
Population Served |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Detected Chemicals | 54 |
926 |
6,074,253 |
Exceed health guidelines* | 25 |
724 |
5,916,435 |
Exceed Legal Limits* | 11 |
129 |
558,706 |
Unregulated chemicals detected | 12 |
303 |
4,230,013 |
| * Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance. | |||
25 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits
Contaminants detected in Michigan drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities
| Contaminant | Population |
Number of Systems |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Any Level | Above Health Limits | At Any Level | Above Health Limits | |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 5,742,051 | 5,319,041 | 488 | 273 |
| Total haloacetic acids (HAAs) | 5,090,500 | 5,021,919 | 298 | 293 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 4,775,322 | 4,775,322 | 426 | 426 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 4,709,136 | 4,688,684 | 400 | 385 |
| Dichloroacetic acid | 4,048,522 | 4,048,522 | 241 | 241 |
| Chloroform | 4,804,745 | 3,998,801 | 466 | 230 |
| Bromoform | 1,406,539 | 1,406,539 | 156 | 156 |
| Lead (total) | 710,990 | 710,990 | 224 | 224 |
| Arsenic (total) | 524,299 | 524,299 | 200 | 200 |
| Trichloroacetic acid | 4,038,187 | 269,646 | 229 | 27 |
Water Utilities in Michigan Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines
Water utilities in Michigan reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:
| System | Population |
Chemicals tested |
Chemicals found |
Chemicals exceeding health guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Flint | 124,943 | 139 | 17 | 11 |
| Village of Caseville | 888 | 74 | 13 | 11 |
| South Lyon | 11,055 | 16 | 12 | 10 |
| Pleasant Beach Mobile Home Resort | 253 | 138 | 15 | 9 |
| Negaunee-Ishpeming Authority | 1 | 139 | 12 | 9 |
| Jackson | 37,873 | 79 | 16 | 9 |
| Woodland Ridge | 1,082 | 25 | 12 | 8 |
| Waterford Township | 65,076 | 139 | 14 | 8 |
| Stephenson | 904 | 139 | 12 | 8 |
| South Haven | 5,021 | 72 | 12 | 8 |
| Sault Ste Marie | 14,689 | 129 | 10 | 8 |
| Romeo | 3,750 | 127 | 11 | 8 |
| City of Rogers City | 3,322 | 17 | 9 | 8 |
| Muskegon Heights | 12,049 | 125 | 9 | 8 |
| Mount Clemens | 18,405 | 71 | 9 | 8 |
| Monroe | 40,158 | 73 | 12 | 8 |
| Milan | 6,610 | 18 | 10 | 8 |
| Menominee | 9,398 | 138 | 11 | 8 |
| City of Ludington | 8,357 | 80 | 11 | 8 |
| Village of Kalkaska | 2,226 | 17 | 12 | 8 |
Sources of Michigan Drinking Water Contaminants
The contaminants identified in Michigan drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.
Testing Summary for Michigan
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
| Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Michigan | 165 | |
| Contaminants tested due to federal law: | 75 | |
| Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: | 90 | |
Violation Summary for Michigan
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in Michigan since 2004
| Violation Type | Number of Violations |
|---|---|
| Failure to monitor regularly | 869 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) | 362 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria) | 346 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Average | 156 |
| Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report | 110 |
| Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule | 88 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 57 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 44 |
| Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling | 40 |
| Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations | 39 |
| Operations Report | 34 |
| Variance/Exemption/Other Compliance | 24 |
| Record Keeping Violation | 18 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria) | 15 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria) | 13 |
| Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper | 7 |
| Initial Water Quality Parameter Monitoring and Reporting | 5 |
| Public Education | 4 |
| Treatment Technique Precursor Removal | 4 |
| Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 3 |
| Non-Acute maximum residual disinfectant level | 3 |
| Filter Turbidity Reporting | 3 |
| Excess Turbidity at 1 NTU | 3 |
| Treatment Technique No Certif. Operator | 2 |
| Inadequate reporting of information to the public | 2 |
| Failure to notify state agency | 2 |
| Improper Treatment Techniques | 1 |
| Initial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water Treatment Monitoring and Reporting | 1 |