Michigan – The Great Lakes State – Water Quality Report 2025: PFAS Testing, Infrastructure Concerns & Safety across your state
Michigan’s water infrastructure serves approximately 10.1 million residents across the Great Lakes region, managing 20% of the world’s freshwater supply. The state operates through a complex network of thousands of public water systems, ranging from large municipal utilities like the Great Lakes Water Authority, which serves approximately 3.9 million customers across 126 municipalities in southeast Michigan, to smaller community systems providing essential services throughout the state’s diverse geography. Michigan’s water sources include the Great Lakes, numerous inland lakes, rivers, and groundwater aquifers that supply both urban centers and rural communities.
Despite abundant freshwater resources, Michigan faces significant infrastructure and contamination challenges. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2023 Infrastructure Report Card, Michigan’s drinking water infrastructure received a D+ grade, highlighting aging systems, funding shortfalls, and emerging contaminant concerns including widespread PFAS “forever chemicals” contamination. The state has received substantial federal infrastructure investments and has committed over $4 billion since 2019 to address these challenges, focusing on drinking water safety, lead service line replacement, and PFAS remediation. Michigan’s proactive approach to water quality improvement is demonstrated through comprehensive PFAS testing programs, the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), and partnerships between the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), local utilities, and federal agencies working to ensure safe, reliable water access for all residents.
Michigan Water Quality: Current Status (2024-2025)
Statewide Compliance and Testing
- Overall Compliance: Most of Michigan’s public water systems meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards, though the state leads the nation in PFAS contamination with over 300 documented contamination sites and potentially 11,300 total sites where PFAS has been used historically.
- PFAS Monitoring Leadership: Michigan became the first state to test all public drinking water supplies for PFAS and established its own drinking water standards in 2020, serving as a national model for comprehensive “forever chemical” monitoring and regulation.
- Infrastructure Investment: Over $4 billion in state and federal funding has been committed since 2019 for water infrastructure improvements, including $865 million in grants awarded since 2022 for lead service line replacement, PFAS treatment, and system upgrades across communities statewide.
Major Water Sources and Challenges
- Great Lakes Water Authority: Serves approximately 3.9 million customers across 126 municipalities in southeast Michigan, with comprehensive PFAS testing showing non-detect levels in treated drinking water from the Great Lakes system.
- Private Well Contamination: Up to 1.4 million private well users may be receiving water from PFAS-tainted aquifers, with over 165,000 private wells in the Detroit metro area alone requiring individual testing and potential treatment.
- Aging Infrastructure: Most of Michigan’s community water supply systems are over 50 years old, with a significant portion approaching 100 years of service life, requiring comprehensive modernization and replacement programs.
PFAS Contamination Response
- Comprehensive Site Inventory: The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) has identified 300 confirmed contamination sites with investigations ongoing at thousands of additional locations where PFAS use is suspected from industrial, military, and commercial activities.
- Federal Standards Impact: New EPA drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS (4 parts per trillion) will require compliance by 2029, though recent federal policy changes under the Trump administration have created uncertainty about enforcement timelines and scope.
- Treatment Technology Deployment: Water utilities are implementing advanced treatment technologies including activated carbon filtration and reverse osmosis systems, with state programs providing technical and financial assistance for smaller systems.
Lead Service Line Replacement
- Inventory Requirements: All water suppliers were required to complete service line material inventories by October 2024 to identify lead service lines, with residents receiving notification within 30 days if their home has a lead service line.
- Stricter Standards: Michigan’s lead action level will decrease from 15 ppb to 12 ppb on January 1, 2025, with enhanced sampling protocols showing significant reductions in lead exceedances from 13% in 2019 to 3% in 2023.
- Replacement Programs: Dedicated funding streams provide grants and low-interest loans for lead service line replacement, with cities like Eastpointe already replacing over 800 lead service lines as part of comprehensive infrastructure modernization efforts.
Looking Forward: 2025-2030
Michigan’s water quality landscape continues evolving as utilities prepare for federal PFAS regulations and lead service line replacement mandates taking effect through 2029. The state’s leadership in PFAS monitoring and regulation, combined with substantial infrastructure investments, positions Michigan as a national model for addressing emerging water quality challenges. However, successful implementation will require continued collaboration between state regulators, water utilities, and communities to ensure that all Michiganders have access to safe, affordable drinking water while addressing the legacy of industrial contamination, aging infrastructure, and the unique challenges of protecting the Great Lakes system that serves as a global freshwater resource.
Recommendations for Michigan Residents
Know Your Water Source
Contact your water utility to request annual water quality reports and ask about PFAS and lead testing results. Private well owners should test their water through EGLE’s Drinking Water Analysis Laboratory at 517-335-8184 for $290 comprehensive PFAS testing.
Support Infrastructure Investment
Stay informed about local water infrastructure needs and support utility rate structures that enable necessary improvements. Attend public meetings when utilities discuss lead service line replacement and PFAS treatment investments.
Consider PFAS-Certified Filtration
For areas with known PFAS contamination, consider NSF-certified activated carbon or reverse osmosis filters specifically tested for PFAS removal. This is especially important for private well users in potentially contaminated areas.
Report Water Quality Concerns
Contact your local water utility immediately for taste, odor, or color concerns. Report suspected contamination to EGLE for investigation and follow-up, and check if your area is included in MPART’s ongoing contamination site investigations.
Protect the Great Lakes
Support Michigan’s Great Lakes protection through conservation measures, proper disposal of household chemicals, and participation in volunteer water quality monitoring programs through Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps).
Michigan Cities We Cover
Detroit Water Quality
Comprehensive analysis of Detroit’s water systems, including Great Lakes Water Authority services, infrastructure modernization efforts, PFAS monitoring, and lead service line replacement programs serving Michigan’s largest metropolitan area.
Flint Water Quality
Detailed assessment of Flint’s water recovery following the 2014 crisis, current lead monitoring results, infrastructure replacement progress, and ongoing efforts to rebuild community trust in municipal water systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Michigan’s tap water safe to drink?
Most of Michigan’s public water systems meet federal drinking water standards and are generally safe for consumption. However, widespread PFAS contamination affects numerous communities.
Michigan was the first state to test all public drinking water supplies for PFAS and has over 300 documented contamination sites. EGLE estimates 1.5 million Michiganders have been drinking water from PFAS-contaminated sources. The Great Lakes Water Authority reports non-detect levels in treated water, but many smaller systems and private wells show contamination. Lead levels have decreased significantly due to enhanced regulations, but residents should request current testing results from their water utility and consider certified filters for additional protection.
Why does Michigan have such widespread PFAS contamination?
Michigan’s industrial history and proactive testing have revealed extensive PFAS contamination from decades of manufacturing, military, and commercial use.
The state’s automotive and chemical manufacturing industries historically used PFAS in production processes, while military bases and airports used PFAS-containing firefighting foam. Paper mills, metal finishing operations, and landfills also contributed to contamination. Michigan’s comprehensive testing program, led by MPART since 2017, has identified contamination that other states might not have discovered yet. Up to 3.2 million Michiganders may be getting water from PFAS-tainted aquifers, including 1.4 million private well users who must test their own water for contamination.
How can I find out about my local water quality in Michigan?
Michigan residents can access water quality information through several comprehensive resources:
• Annual Water Quality Reports: Contact your water utility directly for their Consumer Confidence Report, which details all testing results including PFAS and lead levels
• EGLE MiEHDWIS System: Visit Michigan’s Environmental Health and Drinking Water Information System online to access testing results and compliance information for your local water system
• MPART Site List: Check if your area is included in the 300+ documented PFAS contamination sites through EGLE’s PFAS Action Response Team database
• Private Well Testing: Contact EGLE’s Drinking Water Analysis Laboratory at 517-335-8184 for $290 comprehensive PFAS testing if you have a private well
What is Michigan doing about water infrastructure challenges?
Michigan has made substantial investments to address aging infrastructure and contamination:
Major Funding: Over $4 billion committed since 2019 through state programs like MI Clean Water Plan and federal infrastructure investments
Lead Service Lines: Mandatory inventory completion by October 2024, with enhanced regulations lowering the action level to 12 ppb in 2025
PFAS Response: Michigan established the first comprehensive state PFAS standards and created MPART to coordinate cleanup efforts at contaminated sites
Grant Programs: EGLE awarded 185 grants totaling $865 million since 2022 to local communities for water infrastructure improvements, with programs specifically targeting disadvantaged communities and emerging contaminant treatment
Despite these investments, the American Society of Civil Engineers still rates Michigan’s drinking water infrastructure as D+, indicating continued need for sustained funding and modernization efforts.
Contaminants of Concern
PFAS “Forever Chemicals”
Source: Industrial manufacturing from automotive and chemical industries, military bases using firefighting foam, paper mills, metal finishing operations, and consumer products disposal
Health Effects: Linked to kidney, liver, and testicular cancer, immune system suppression, high cholesterol, developmental effects in children, and other serious health impacts from long-term exposure
Current Status: Over 300 documented contamination sites statewide with MPART investigating thousands more potential locations. Up to 3.2 million Michiganders may be receiving water from PFAS-tainted aquifers
State Standards: Michigan established drinking water standards in 2020, with federal EPA standards (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS) taking effect in 2029
Lead from Service Lines and Pipes
Source: Aging lead service lines and plumbing fixtures throughout Michigan’s water distribution systems, particularly in older communities with infrastructure dating back decades or over a century
Health Effects: Neurological damage, developmental delays in children, cardiovascular effects, kidney damage, and reproductive problems, with no safe level of lead exposure
Current Status: Michigan’s enhanced Lead and Copper Rule requires service line inventories completed by October 2024, with action level decreasing to 12 ppb in 2025. Lead exceedances dropped from 13% to 3% between 2019-2023
Regulatory Response: Mandatory lead service line identification and replacement programs with dedicated state and federal funding assistance
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