IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

The Village of Clinton Did Not Meet Treatment Requirements

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this situation does not require that you take immediate action, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.

We treat our water with orthophosphate to control corrosion and prevent lead and copper in the pipes from dissolving into the water. To ensure we are maintaining optimal corrosion control, we routinely sample the water at the water treatment plant and in the distribution system for water quality parameters such as pH, chlorine, and orthophosphate. We are required to maintain these parameters within state-designated ranges. We did not maintain the orthophosphate levels at the treatment plant within the set ranges for more than nine days during the January to June 2023 monitoring period.

On one day when the orthophosphate level was low at the water plant, staff took a test from a location in the middle of town. The orthophosphate level was well above the minimum levels required.  The Village contracted with a company that specializes in water treatment systems, who recommend we change the orthophosphate pumps from those that pulsate every couple seconds to continuous feed pumps.  This will reduce the possibility of grabbing a water sample at the treatment plant in-between the pump pulses.

What should I do?

You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

What does this mean?

This situation does not require that you take immediate action. If it had, you would have been notified immediately. This is a treatment violation, but it does not mean there is lead or copper in your drinking water. The most recent monitoring indicates that lead and copper levels were well below the action levels at least 90 percent of residential drinking water taps sampled. The most recent lead samples show there was 0.0 ppb while the state action level is 15 ppb.  The Village’s copper samples were 400 ppb while the state action level is 1,300 ppb.  However, it is important that everyone takes measures to control lead and copper levels in the water because ingesting lead or copper can cause serious health consequences.

Lead: Infants and children who drink water containing lead could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.

Copper: Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's disease should consult their personal doctor.

What happened? What is being done?

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy set ranges for our water quality parameters on March 8, 2022. The water samples tested at the water treatment plant on January 2, 2023, were below the required minimum value for orthophosphate. There were ten excursion days at the water treatment plant between of January 2 and January 25, 2023. We are working on following up with all water quality parameter results timely to prevent this from happening again. For more information, please contact Mr. Will Sanborn, dpw@villageofclinton.org, 269-686-1116, or 119 East Michigan Avenue, Clinton, Michigan 49236.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is issued by the Village of Clinton.