PARCHMENT, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo County health officials are urging residents on the Parchment city water system to stop using their water immediately, after finding the likely carcinogen PFAS in the water supply at levels up to 20 times higher than federal safety standards.
The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department issued the advisory Thursday night, after Michigan Department of Environmental Quality drinking water specialist Eric Oswald says water samples came back at 1,300 parts per trillion and 1,400 ppt — well above the Environmental Protection Agency's threshold of 70 ppt.
Oswald said of the several tests the state has conducted so far, this is the first high hit they've had.
"It's hard to say what you're going to find. We have types of industries that cause this pollution, and that's why we chose these communities to go first. Obviously, that hunch has paid off," Oswald said.
In a news conference, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said the advisory impacts approximately 3,000 people, on the city of Parchment's water system, including residents of Cooper Township.
>>App users: Watch the Parchment water news conference here.