PARCHMENT, Mich. (WOOD) — County officials will update their investigation into the source of PFAS that made it into Parchment’s municipal water system during a town hall meeting Tuesday.
The meeting will take place at Haven Reformed Church in Kalamazoo and will be livestreamed on woodtv.com.
People who live in Parchment and Cooper Township and rely on the municipal water system are encouraged to attend the meeting, which will start with an open house at 5 p.m. The program will begin an hour later.
Officials plan to update how they’ve been responding to the PFAS contamination, which was discovered during state water testing. The samples showed PFAS levels at 1,400 parts per trillion and 1,300 ppt — up to 20 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s advisory level of 70 ppt.
Officials cautioned some private wells that pull water from the same aquifer may also contain PFAS. Wells near the site are being tested.
Parchment has told residents to stop using the city water. A bottled water distribution site has been set up at Parchment High School.
The town hall will also focus on the health effects of PFAS, as well as temporary and long-term water supply solutions.
Central City Transit Authority (Metro) will offer roundtrip shuttles to the meeting from Saint Ambrose Catholic Church, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Pickup is also available by contacting Metro Connect at 269.350.2970.
Officials say no large bags, backpacks or signs will be allowed inside the meeting for security reasons. Other bags and purses may be searched.
People with questions can also call the Parchment Water Hotline at 269.373.5346 to talk to someone from the Health & Community Services Department.