Parchment PFAS testers will have...
PARCHMENT, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo County authorities are reminding Parchment and Cooper Township residents to ask to see the state-issued ID badges of people who show up at their homes to test their water for PFAS.
On Thursday, officials provided a photo of what Michigan Department of Environmental Quality contractor badges look like. They are blue and read, "PFAS Kalamazoo County area sampling team: DEQ contractor" in all caps white lettering. The badges also have a holographic sticker bearing the state of Michigan seal.
Authorities said that if people claiming to be testing water do not have legitimate DEQ contractor badges, residents should not let them in and should call 911.
There have been previous warnings about people going around and selling bogus PFAS test kits and filters.
Levels of PFAS, a likely carcinogen, well above the state standard have been found in the Parchment municipal water system, prompting authorities to tell residents last week to stop drinking it.
Crews are also testing private wells in the city and Cooper Township to see if they have been contaminated. As of Thursday, 71 wells had been tested, though results weren't yet back for any of those. Anyone who found a DEQ note on their door about well testing should contact the agency at 1.800.662.9278.