New monitoring data from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, & Energy show a steep decline in PFAS levels in the Huron River watershed. The reduced contamination appears to correspond with efforts by the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) to work with local wastewater treatment plant operators and their industrial customers to reduce PFAS contamination in wastewater streams.
Since the start of monitoring in July 2018, PFAS levels in the Huron River downstream of Norton Creek have dropped from a maximum detection of 1,400 parts per trillion (ppt) to a maximum detection of 6.1 ppt, according to EGLE’s August 2020 sampling update. Levels in Norton Creek, thought to be a major source of the Huron River PFAS levels, declined by 99.8 percent from a maximum detection of 5,600 ppt in 2018 to a maximum detection of 12.2 ppt in August 2020.
Michigan’s actions to identify and eliminate sources of PFAS in the watershed support the goal of ensuring the river is meeting its designated uses including fishing and recreation.
For more information on EGLE’s work within the watershed, please visit the Huron River Watershed Investigation timeline.
