All concerns: Antrim County

How does PFAS affect our drinking water?

Some drinking water wells may have PFAS in amounts that are high enough to cause concern for human health. About 75% of Michiganders get water from a public water supply. The rest of the state gets their water from private wells. Both can become contaminated by PFAS, so it is important to stay informer about drinking water in Antrim County.

There are strict drinking water standards that put a limit on the amounts of certain PFAS chemicals that are in drinking water. These limits are supposed to protect us from negative health impacts of exposure to toxic PFAS, but the process of testing water and getting results can be extremely slow and bogged down by bureaucracy.

Here is how to protect yourself and your drinking water:

  • Public water: Municipal or public water providers are now required to test their water quarterly for the state’s regulated PFAS chemicals.
  • Well water: Michigan has tested private drinking water wells in areas of the state with known PFAS contamination, and many Michiganders with tainted wells have had to switch to municipal water or obtained filters for their home supply.

If you are concerned about exposure to PFAS in your drinking water, please contact the Michigan Department of Human and Health Services (MDHHS) Toxicology Hotline at 800-648-6942 or the CDC/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/ or 800-232-4636.