This report is about your drinking water quality and sources; regulations that protect your health; programs that protect the high quality of our supply sources; and the treatment processes that assure our drinking water meets or surpasses all federal and state standards. We are proud to report that our Kalamazoo Water Utility met or exceeded all federal and state standards for drinking water during 1998. It is a record reflecting the hard work by our 125 employees to bring you water that is absolutely safe. The City has made a commitment to our customers to assure that the water supply meets or exceeds U.S.EPA and MDEQ water quality standards at all times. This is evident in the technologically advanced treatment facilities constructed at our pumping stations as well as in our testing laboratories. The Kalamazoo Water Supply is also committed to provide you with information about your water supply, because customers who are well informed are our best allies in supporting improvements necessary to maintain the highest drinking water standards.

Kalamazoo Water Sources/ Supply System

Everyone in Kalamazoo County gets their drinking water from groundwater, pumped by public or private wells. Groundwater although vulnerable is a preferred source because it lacks bacteria and sediments. It also has a good taste, whereas surface water (lakes, rivers etc.) is very susceptible to contamination taste and odor problems.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Inorganic contaminants, such as salts, and metals, which can be naturally -occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.

Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations ,urban storm water runoff, and septic system.

Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water system. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Cross Connection Control:

Our Utility has a comprehensive program for the inspection, elimination, and prevention of cross connection in industrial, commercial, and public facilities. However, like most utilities, the manpower is not available to carry out an effective residential inspection program. That is why we are asking you to help protect yourself and neighbors by eliminating your cross connections.

A cross connection is an arrangement of piping or accessories through which a backflow could occur. Any water connections to items such as bath tub, mop bucket, sewer drains forms an avenue through which the contents may backflow into the drinking water system. This may cause illness or even death.

The most common cross connections in residences are made with an ordinary garden hose. Hoses are used in underground lawn sprinkler systems, chemical sprayers, laundry tubs , radiator flushing , swimming pools, and many more.

You can install inexpensive hose bib (faucet) vacuum breakers to prevent back siphonage through hoses. Make sure that there is an air gap between the suspended pipe and the drain. In other instances you may need professional assistance in determining the appropriate protection against backflow. If at any time you suspect a backflow has occurred, notify Public Services by calling Rick Callens at 337-8704 immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most frequently asked questions about our drinking water are about hardness,
odor, color, and lead.

The hardness and iron are naturally occurring in groundwater. Iron can cause staining of fixtures and clothing. In an effort to reduce the effects of iron, we add phosphate to the water supply. Also, twice a year we flush the water mains to remove sediments and iron. The presence of substances such as iron or hardness do not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. There are devices available in the market for use at homes, which will remove iron and hardness. The Utility staff will be happy to discuss these devices.

Chlorine is added for bacterial disinfection which oxidizes iron and may be the cause of odor and color in water. Another potential source of odor and discoloration can be the result of the magnesium rods inside a water heater. These rods are there to protect the inside of the water heater from corrosion, but can promote the growth of some types of harmless bacteria which produce odors.

The water that comes out of the ground is lead free. However Lead and Copper can be introduced by plumbing systems that contain them. Lead solder has been banned in recent years but is still found in older homes. If you have a concern about lead call 337-8705 for a sample kit. There is no charge for the test as long as you are a customer served by the City of Kalamazoo.

Customer views welcome
The City of Kalamazoo welcomes and encourages the public to tour our Treatment Plants. Guests are provided a comprehensive overview of the treatment and testing process.

If you are interested in learning more about the water department and water quality or participating in the decision-making process, there are a number of opportunities available. Questions about water quality can be answered by calling our Water Supply office at (616) 337-8758 or Nasim Ansari at (616) 337-8696.

How to read the Table:
The state allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data , though representative are more than one year old. For the purpose of this report we have listed only those substances detected in the drinking water.

*Lead and Copper were tested in 1996. Only 1 out of 64 sites exceeded action levels for Lead and Copper