WATER MAIN BREAK – Flushing of lines, water is safe to drink.

Due to a water main break earlier today (6/9/2021) at Broomfield and Mission Street, the water in that area may temporarily have a reddish/orange rusty appearance. Main breaks disturb the iron sediment in the water pipes causing discoloration.

If discoloration occurs, run your cold water from the tap closest to your water meter for several minutes to clear your lines. If there is a removable aerator at the tap this should be removed before flushing. You should also flush your toilets once or twice. The water should run clear within a few minutes but may last until the evening when hydrant flushing stops, and more people are home to move the rusty water out of the system.

Please do not run warm water, as this forces the discolored water into the water heater, mixing it with clear stored water. If you do get rusty water in your hot water heater, drain the hot water heater per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cross Connection Inspections to Begin on Residential Properties

A cross connection is a point in a plumbing system where it is possible for a non-potable substance, such as a chemical, to come into contact with the potable (safe) drinking water supply. Most cross connections occur beyond the customer’s service connection, within residential, commercial, institutional or industrial plumbing systems.

Michigan’s Safe Drinking Water Act protects drinking water and prevents cross connections that may pose a hazard to the potable water supply. In the past, the Water Department has focused its efforts on addressing cross connections at commercial and industrial properties due to their greater risk for potential contaminants. While these inspections will continue, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is now requiring inspections of potential cross connections with residential properties. Most residential cross connections are found at a home’s exterior hose bib connection (your outside hose connection), or with a residential irrigation system.

At the end of May Hydrocorp, the entity conducting the exterior residential inspections, will be sending letters to some residents to inform them when their property will be inspected. Residential inspections will be completed in phases over a multi-year process. Underground irrigation systems will likely need to have their backflow prevention device tested. If so, the property owner will be notified.

Summary of Minutes of the Mt. Pleasant City Commission Meeting – February 22, 2021

Summary of Minutes of the electronically conducted regular meeting of the City Commission held Monday, February 22, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.

Received petitions and communications.

Approved the following items on the Consent Calendar:

1) Minutes of the electronically conducted regular meeting of the City Commission held February 8, 2021.

2) Bid of Central Asphalt of Mt. Pleasant, MI for the 2021 DPS Parking Lot Mill and Resurface project.

3) Authorized the confirmation of the MERS Agreement Addendum for deferred compensation plans by Finance Director Mary Ann Kornexl as presented.

4) Appointment of Cory Friedrich as the representative of the Planning Commission to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a one-year term as recommended by the Planning Commission.

5) Received proposed ordinance to amend Chapter 52: WATER, §52.12 Cross Connections and §52.29 Right of Entry of City Employees of the Mt. Pleasant City Code of Ordinances and set a public hearing for Monday, March 8, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. on same.

6) Received proposed ordinance to amend Chapter 154: ZONING ORDINANCES, §154.203F Residential/Dwelling Use Restriction, §154.410.B Special Uses and Table 154.410.A Building and Lot Principal Use of the Mt. Pleasant Code of Ordinances to permit residential/dwelling uses under certain circumstances as recommended by the Planning Commission; and set a public hearing for Monday, March 22, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. on same.

7) Warrants and Payrolls.

Authorized the Mayor to sign the appropriate documents for a drain easement across Mission Creek Park as presented.

Confirmed the appointment of Heather Bouck as City Clerk and Chris Saladine and Mary Ann Kornexl as Deputy City Clerks.

Conducted a work session discussion on goals/objectives.

Conducted a work session discussion on work session schedule.

Adjourned the meeting at 9:32 p.m.

PFAS Water Test Results Released for City of Mt. Pleasant Water Supply within Isabella County

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has been testing drinking water from all community water supplies across the state. This test is looking for a group of manmade chemicals called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). MDEQ is taking this precautionary step of testing these drinking water sources to determine if public health actions are needed. Below is information provided by the MDEQ.

What is PFAS?

It is not uncommon to find low levels of PFAS in drinking water supplies, as PFAS can be found in fire-fighting foams, stain repellants, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food wrappers, and many other household products. They do not break down in the environment and move easily into water.

Who paid for the initial testing?

Funding for the initial testing was provided by legislation signed by Governor Rick Snyder as a supplemental appropriation for the current fiscal year.

Who conducted the initial testing?

The MDEQ contracted with AECOM, a private environmental firm to conduct the statewide sampling.

Municipal Sample Testing Dates

As reported on October 10, 2018, The City of Mt. Pleasant, Charter Township of Union and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe were scheduled to be tested separately during the week of October 15, 2018. These tests were all conducted on October 18, 2018. If you are unsure of who your water system/provider is, please refer to your water bill.

Lifetime Health Advisory levels set by Environment Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a lifetime health advisory (LHA) level for two PFAS in drinking water, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The LHA level is 70 parts per trillion (ppt, which is the equivalent of one drop of water in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools) for PFOA and PFOS combined, or individually if only one is present. The State of Michigan is using 70 ppt for decision making purposes.

Test Results

The following test results were provided by the MDEQ and can be found on the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team website, www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse.

City of Mt. Pleasant Test Results: The City of Mt. Pleasant’s results show that of the PFOA and PFOS tested, a non-detect level was found in the water. This level is below the EPA’s lifetime health advisory of 70 ppt.

Can I drink the water?

With the information available at this time, and the test results received from MDEQ, there is no reason to believe the water is unsafe to drink. If you have individual concerns, please refer to the Updated Water Information section provided below.

Charter Township of Union test results have not yet been received from the MDEQ.

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe test results have not yet been received from the MDEQ.

Updated Water Information

Updated water information can be found on the Central Michigan Health Department website at https://www.cmdhd.org/ or by calling the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-648-6942 or the MDEQ Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278.

For information on PFAS including possible health outcomes, visit these websites:

State of Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) website serving as the main resource for public information on PFAS contamination in Michigan michigan.gov/pfasresponse
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) website including health information, exposure, and links to additional resources atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas
United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) website including basic information, U.S. EPA actions, and links to informational resources epa.gov/pfas.

City’s drinking water meets federal and state quality requirements

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According to the 2016 City of Mt. Pleasant Water Quality Report, the City’s drinking water meets all federal and state requirements.

The Mt. Pleasant Water Department routinely monitors for a number of contaminants in the City’s drinking water. While it is reasonable to expect trace amounts of some contaminants, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets regulations which limit the levels of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems to ensure the tap water is safe to drink.

The report revealed the contaminants detected in the City’s drinking water measured well below the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) set by government regulations. For example, when testing for the presence of fluoride, the amount of fluoride in the water cannot exceed 4 parts per million (ppm). In City water, the fluoride levels averaged at 0.7 ppm.

Additionally, the City’s water system tested well below action levels of the federal Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The action level of lead is 15 parts per billion (ppb). The level of lead detected in the City’s drinking water was zero.

The Mt. Pleasant Water Department constantly monitors the water supply for various contaminants. Tests were performed for an additional 130 chemicals and no detectable concentrations were found. “At the Mt. Pleasant Water Department, we work hard to provide top quality water to every tap, and our motto, ‘Good Water Every Day,’ reflects this focus,” said Water Superintendent Malcolm Fox.

To see the full report, visit http://www.mt-pleasant.org/docs/dept/publicworks/2016waterreport.pdf.