City of Flint Water Meets all MDEQ and U.S. EPA Safety Standards, Water Quality Update to be Sent to Customers
Flint, Michigan – March 27, 2015 – The City of Flint will be mailing a Water Quality Update notifying water customers that water testing results for the month of March show that Flint Water meets all Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for safety. Total trihalomethane (TTHM) levels, which were the cause of a violation notice in November, are significantly below the maximum acceptable levels at all eight testing sites in Flint (see chart below). This progress was accomplished by:
- Upgrading the ozone treatment process at the Water Treatment Plant
- Increasing water main/hydrant flushing to reduce stagnation
- Conducting additional testing of treatment to identify areas of improvement
- Improving water circulation by repairing valves and adjusting reservoir levels
While the water currently meets all safety standards, the City is still required to send a notice of violation along with the Water Quality Update due to TTHM levels experienced in 2014. Notification is based on four quarters of test results and the City’s annual quarterly testing average is not yet below the state’s allowable average. The City is therefore required to issue notice until the four quarter average is lowered.
In the Water Quality Update, the City of Flint states that “maintaining safe water and improving its quality is a top priority for all of us at the City of Flint, and we apologize for the concerns these notices have raised. We have taken many steps to improve the safety and quality of our water supply and will be taking more.”
The City also noted in its update that a series of recommendations was provided by water consultant Veolia North America, stating that it will be taking further action steps to assure that water remains safe and that water quality is improved. Progress on water system improvements will be posted to the City of Flint’s website cityofflint.com as they occur.
