PFAS Update: Plan for Pellston, MI to Get an Alternate Water Supply at Least Five Years Out
In Pellston, Michigan, residents live daily with the health risks of PFAS contamination in their water. For five years, many have relied on only a single filtered faucet in their home, despite needing water for cooking, bathing, and cleaning. Frustration is growing.
The crisis emerged in 2020, when high school students working with Freshwater Future helped discover PFAS contamination in private wells throughout Pellston, a small rural village in northern Michigan that depends entirely on well water. The source of the pollution is from firefighting foam used at Pellston’s regional airport.
In late October, the Village was awarded two grants, totalling $44 million from the State of Michigan, that will fully fund a proposed community water system. Providing this alternative water supply is an important step toward addressing residents’ concerns about the lack of progress, limited filtration options, and continued exposure to “forever chemicals” linked to health issues such as cancer, immune system problems, and developmental delays.
At a recent informational session, state officials outlined their plans for a centralized community water system to serve approximately 360 properties. While some see the system as a long-overdue solution, other residents shared concerns about losing access to their private well or taking on monthly water bills that are typically higher than the electricity cost for a private well. In order for the grant funds to be released, the Village needs a majority of residents to commit to hooking up to the new public water supply. If the project proceeds, construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2026. Shifting to a public water supply would provide safe water for households at every faucet, an improvement over the point-of-use filters currently being used.
Pellston is just one example of how PFAS contamination continues to impact rural communities across Great Lakes states. As PFAS contamination from landfills, airports, and manufacturing is discovered, other small towns will face these same challenges of finding solutions to ensure a safe and affordable water supply. Without state and federal funding, municipalities will have to shoulder the large capital costs of building or improving a water system or other solutions, passing the hefty price tag on to residents. Freshwater Future will continue our work to ensure all Great Lake’s residents have access to safe and affordable drinking water.
