KALAMAZOO, MI — Residents in the city of Parchment and Cooper Township will be provided bottled water Friday morning after elevated levels of PFAS were found in Parchment’s water system.
The water should also not be given to pets.
PFAS found in Parchment drinking water at 20 times advisory level There are about 3,000 people on the city of Parchment water system, officials said.
"We fully recognize the seriousness of the situation and we recognize that people are going to have concerns," Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said at a media event held Thursday night.
"I want to make sure everybody understands that we have a team in place that is very prepared to help the citizens," he said.
For further information, resident on the Parchment water supply system can call the Parchment water hotline at 269-567-7595 or 269-567-2517.
A short-term plan to return safe drinking water to the area will start within the next 24-48 hours/ The city of Parchment’s water supply system will be drained, according to a news release from the county’s Health and Community Services Department.
Officials plan to connect residents currently on the city of Parchment’s water supply to the city of Kalamazoo’s water supply system.
The city of Kalamazoo will flush Parchment’s water supply system until test results come back with PFAS levels below the health advisory level of 70 ppt.
Officials provided a map of the Parchment city water system, shown below.

Health officials are finding traces of PFAS chemicals in public water systems statewide, but the City of Kalamazoo water supply tested below the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) health advisory levels, said Kalamazoo College Facilities Management.
According to Lindemann, officials tested 15 pumping stations in Kalamazoo this June; 12 stations had no detectable levels of PFAS contamination, but three did test positive for traces of the chemicals, albeit below the EPA guideline of 70 parts per trillion.
They’re found in everyday items, like food packaging, household cleaners, clothing fabrics, and pizza boxes.
The chemical group never breaks down and can accumulate over time in areas like drinking water—and living organisms.
Limited findings relate this toxic chemical group to low infant birth rate, thyroid disruption, and cancer.
In May, health officials confirmed that water samples tested above the EPA limit in the nearby towns of Richland and Battle Creek, according to the DEQ webpage.
The Kalamazoo Gazette reported in August that Parchment city officials will connect their city’s water to the Kalamazoo water system for at least one year.
As for Kalamazoo college students, Facilities Management stresses that while there is no need for concern, it is always good to be cautious.
For those who are still concerned, Lindemann suggests they go to the City of Kalamazoo’s website and read the water testing results for themselves.
More information about the PFAS chemical group can be found on the EPA’s website, and updates on the PFAS testing sites in Michigan can be found at michigan.gov/pfasresponse.

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images News/Getty Images On Sunday, the governor’s office in Michigan declared a state of emergency for water contamination.
This time, though, the state of emergency had nothing to do with lead or the now-infamous Flint water crisis.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality found extremely high levels of PFAS in the water systems used by city of Parchment and part of Cooper Township in Kalamazoo County.
When it announced the water contamination, the Parchment government reported that the level of PFAS in the water system was 1,410 parts-per-trillion (or ppt); MLive.com reported that the limit recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is only 70 ppt.
PFAS has been used in a variety of applications, from non-stick pans to firefighting and stain resistance, according to The New Republic.
PFAS also has been found to cause liver and kidney damage, increased cholesterol, asthma, cancer, risk of thyroid disease, and risk of fertility decrease, among other ailments, according to National Ground Water Association.
Kalamazoo County had declared a state of emergency locally on Friday, and asked for a state-level declaration on Saturday, according to the governor’s office.
However, a Flint city government spokeswoman estimated that 12,000 residences still have lines in need of replacing.
"The pipe replacement work is expected to be completed by 2020.
While the state has taken more immediate actions with this smaller crisis in Kalamazoo County, it remains to be seen what the long-term effects of PFAS contamination will be on the state of Michigan.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A boil water advisory was issued Tuesday near a Kalamazoo intersection due to a water main break.
The break happened near the intersection of Lovers Lane and Cork Street, causing the boil water advisory to go into effect for precautionary reasons.
Milwood Elementary School is in the area under the advisory.
Everyone in the area should boil their water for two minutes before consuming it.
A city of Kalamazoo release said the advisory is expected to be lifted by March 15.
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KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A boil water advisory is in effect in some areas of Kalamazoo after a water main break.
The area impacted is near Lovers Lane and Cork Street and includes Milwood Elementary School.
The city of Kalamazoo said the water main break is causing a temporary loss in pressure so they are issuing a boil water advisory as a precaution.
Officials say all water that you plan to drink or use in cooking should be boiled.
They recommend you drink bottled water when possible.
Water used for personal hygiene is okay to use.
Kalamazoo officials said the boil water advisory is only precautionary and there have not been any confirmed tests showing bacteria in the water.
They will begin testing and expect to lift the advisory within 72 hours (March 15).