A treatment system is swiftly being constructed in the Village of Milford to counteract underground contamination seeping into the drinking water system from a former automotive supplier (Kelsey-Hayes) plant. The toxic plume is threatening the community of roughly 6,500 people by exposing them to vinyl chloride.
According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, an unsafe level of the dangerous chemical was detected in a monitoring well in May, located only 150 feet from Milford’s drinking water intake system.
Though the toxin has not officially been detected in the public water supply, it “Represents an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health, safety, welfare, or the environment,” according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
Milford Village Manager Christian Wuerth said, “It’s not a good thing. When you get something like this and it hits close, it’s obviously a concern. I live here, my family’s here, I’ve got friends here. The concern is for everyone in the community and making sure we’ve got clean drinking water.”
In 1989, the village found a chemical called cis-1,2- dichloroethane, a toxic organic compound, in water found below a vacant downtown parcel once owned by Kelsey-Hayes, according to Kevin Wojciechowski, project manager of EGLE’s remediation and redevelopment sector.
Kelsey-Hayes closed its doors and demolished its manufacturing plant in 2001. In 2015, ZF Active Safety US acquired the business after taking over TRW Automotive. According to Wojciechowski, ZF is now responsible for the cleanup of the Milford property.
Tony Sapienza, a ZF spokesman, said, “ZF is fully committed to continuing our longstanding working relationship with EGLE and the Village of Milford to ensure that these ongoing activities at the site address impacts from the former industrial operations and that they meet the timelines specified in the administrative order.”
Wojciechowski said, “This is something that EGLE and the village and others have been dealing with, unfortunately, for a long time. The vinyl chloride is something new that’s come about, but we’ve had a long issue out here of dealing with these issues in the village.”
Don’t let contaminated, toxic water affect you or your family. Contact Reynolds Water today to schedule a consultation and ensure your drinking and shower water is pure and pristine.
Reynolds Water Conditioning was established in 1931 and is Michigan’s oldest water conditioning treatment company. Still owned and operated by the Reynolds family, we take pride in providing the highest quality products at a cost-effective price. If your tap water lacks the quality you deserve, contact us today at 800-572-9575.
Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/