PARCHMENT, Mich. — Kalamazoo County officials are advising residents of Parchment and parts of Cooper Township to stop using the city’s water supply after high amounts of PFAS were found.
PFAS is a man-made chemical believed to cause numerous health problems including thyroid and reproductive issues and various types of cancer.
Boiling water and using common residential filters do not remove or treat PFAS.
Swallowing it is the primary way it gets into the body.
Touching water contaminated with PFAS is not considered a health concern.
County officials say in a release that in the next 24 to 48 hours Parchment’s water supply is being drained and that the city of Kalamazoo’s water supply will be connected to begin flushing its supply system.
Officials say they do not know how long that process will take.
Gov.
"Our first priority is the health of residents in the Parchment and Cooper Township area and to ensure they have access to safe drinking water, a plan for which is already being executed by local agencies with state assistance," a statement from Snyder reads.
"Our next step is to work as a team to address the source of this contamination and restore the municipal water system."