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2023 WATER
QUALITY REPORT
City of Muskegon
WATER QUALITY
EXCEEDS THE MARK!
We are pleased to report that the water we treat has never had a violation of a
contaminant level or of any other water quality standard.
This report covers the drinking water quality for the City of Muskegon (Water
Supply Serial Number 04570) for the 2023 calendar year. This information
details where our water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and state standards.
Your water comes from Lake Michigan and is treated at the City of Muskegon
Water Filtration Plant. The personnel of the Muskegon Water Filtration Plant
are committed to providing you with a safe and reliable water supply. A team
of state-certified waterworks operators work 24/7 to oversee the water
treatment and distribution processes. More than 100,000 water samples were
analyzed throughout 2023 for different chemical, physical, and
microbiological parameters. The State of Michigan and the USEPA require us
to test our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. We met all the
monitoring and reporting requirements for 2023.
Informed customers are our best allies in maintaining safe drinking water. For
more information about safe drinking water or the contents of this report,
contact the Water Filtration Plant at 231-724-4106, visit our webpage at
https://muskegon-mi.gov/city-services/public-works/water-filtration/, or visit
the U.S. EPA at http://www.epa.gov/safewater.
We invite public participation in decisions that affect drinking water quality.
The City of Muskegon Commission meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each
month at 5:30 p.m. in the City of Commission Chambers (Room 107) at City
Hall (933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI).
The Muskegon
Water
Filtration Plant
treated over 4
billion gallons
of water in
2023!
CITY OF MUSKEGON
PAGE 01
WATER QUALITY REPORT 2023
SOURCE WATER
Our water source is surface water from Lake Michigan. The state performed an
assessment of our source water in 2004 to determine the susceptibility or the
relative potential of contamination. The susceptibility rating is on a seven-tiered
scale from very low to very high based primarily on geologic sensitivity, water
chemistry, and contaminant sources. The susceptibility of our source is
moderately high. The report notes that “historically, the City of Muskegon Water
Filtration Plant has effectively treated this source water to meet drinking water
standards.” The City of Muskegon’s Source Water Intake Protection Plan (SWIPP)
was first created in 2017 and updated in 2023. The purpose of a SWIPP is to
protect the long-term viability of Muskegon’s drinking water supply by reducing
the potential risk of surface and subsurface contamination from affecting the
source water protection area. The SWIPP is available online on the Water
Filtration Plant webpage at https://muskegon-mi.gov/city-services/public-
works/water-filtration/. If you would like more information about these reports,
contact the Water Filtration Plant at 231-724-4106.
DRINKING WATER FACTS
·The Water Filtration Plant uses conventional water treatment, a method widely used
around the world for producing drinking water. This five-step process includes
disinfection, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration.
·The Water Filtration Plant’s treatment capacity is 40 million gallons per day. This is
equal to 27,778 gallons per minute, or enough water to fill eight average-sized bathtubs
every second!
·The amount of water produced at the Water Filtration Plant changes seasonally. On
average, 11 million gallons of water are treated per day. In the last five years, the lowest
daily water production was 6 million gallons and the highest daily production was 23
million gallons.
·Water from Lake Michigan enters the Water Filtration Plant through a 60” diameter
pipeline that extends over 1 mile into Lake Michigan, pulling in water from a depth of
over 30 feet.
·Water flows from the lake, through the treatment process, and into the City in one
continuous flow. When more water is treated, it travels more quickly through the
treatment process. It takes 8-30 hours for water to travel from the lake and into the City.
No matter the time taken, the water meets all drinking water standards.
·Water towers provide both water storage and water pressure. Each water tower in the
City can hold 1 million gallons of water. Every 1 foot of water height provides 0.43
pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure. The water towers in the City of Muskegon are
over 125 feet high, meaning they alone can provide around 54 psi of pressure without any
pumps.
·The temperature of Lake Michigan water changes seasonally. At the Water Filtration
Plant, lake water temperatures have ranged from 35-76 °F over the last five years. These
temperature changes can be noticeable in the water delivered to consumers.
CITY OF MUSKEGON
PAGE 02
WATER QUALITY REPORT 2023
DRINKING WATER The Water Filtration Plant
CONTAMINANTS operates 24 hours a day,
seven days a week!
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least
small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily
indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential
health effects can be obtained by calling the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-
426-4791).
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes,
streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. Our water comes from Lake Michigan. As
water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally
occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances
resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
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 stormwater 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
and residential uses.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and
gas production and mining activities.
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 stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the USEPA prescribes regulations that
limit the levels of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Federal
Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled
water which provide the same protection for public health.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general
population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing
chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or
other immune systems disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from
infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care
providers. USEPA/Center for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen
the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available
from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
CITY OF MUSKEGON
PAGE 03
WATER QUALITY REPORT 2023
TREATED WATER
QUALITY CHARTS
The tables below lists all the drinking water contaminants that we detected in
2023. The presence of these contaminants in the water does not necessarily
indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data
presented in this table is from testing done January 1 through December 31,
2023. The State allows us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once
per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected
to vary significantly from year to year. All the data is representative of the
water quality, but some are more than one year old. Definitions for terms
and abbreviations are available on the last page.
Regulated at the Treatment Plant
Level
Substance MCL MCLG Range Year Violation Typical Source
Detected
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge
Barium
2 2 .02 N/A 2023 No from meatal refineries; Erosion of natural
(ppm)
deposits
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive
Fluoride
4.0 4.0 0.69 0.55-0.81 2023 No which promotes strong teeth; Discharge
(ppm)*
from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaking from
Nitrate
10 10 0.66 0.28-0.66 2023 No septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural
(ppm)
deposits
Firefighting foam; Discharge from
PFOS
16 N/A 2.3 2.0-2.4 2023 No electroplating facilities; Discharge and
(ppt)*
waste from industrial waste
Turbidity
1 (TT) N/A 0.08 N/A 2023 No Soil runoff
(ntu)**
*The level detected for this substance is reported as the maximum running annual average (RAA) in 2023.
**Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Turbidity must also be
≤0.3 ntu for ≥95% of measurements each month. 100% of the samples were ≤0.3 ntu each month.
CITY OF MUSKEGON
PAGE 04
WATER QUALITY REPORT 2023
Regulated in the Distribution System
MRDL MRDLG
Level Typical
Substance or or Range Year Violation
Detected* Source
MCL MCLG
Water additive
Chlorine
4.0 4.0 1.12 0.05-1.81 2023 No used to control
(ppm)
microbes
Total Byproduct of
Trihalomethanes 80 N/A 39 21-44 2023 No drinking water
(ppb) disinfection
Byproduct of
Haloacetic acids
60 N/A 26.4 14.2-32.8 2023 No drinking water
(ppb)
disinfection
*The level detected for this substance is reported as the maximum running annual average (RAA).
If present, elevated levels of lead can
Regulated at the Customer's Tap cause serious health problems,
especially for pregnant women and
young children. Lead in drinking water is
primarily from materials and
Level Samples components associated with service
Substance AL MCLG Range Year Typical Source lines and home plumbing. The City of
Detected* Above AL
Muskegon is responsible for providing
high quality drinking water, but cannot
control the variety of materials used in
Lead service lines, corrosion of
plumbing components. When your water
Lead household plumbing including
15 0 5 0-17 2023 1 has been sitting for several hours, you
(ppb) fittings and fixtures; Erosion of can minimize the potential for lead
natural deposits exposure by flushing your tap for 30
seconds to 2 minutes before using water
Corrosion of household
Copper for drinking or cooking. If you have a
1.3 1.3 0.0 0.0-0.2 2023 0 plumbing systems; Erosion of lead service line, it is recommended that
(ppm)
natural deposits you run your water for at least 5 minutes
*Ninety (90) percent of the samples collected were at or below the level reported for our water. to flush water from both your home
Our water supply has 9,935 service lines of unknown material assumed to be lead out of a total of 12,966 service lines. plumbing and the lead service line. If you
are concerned about lead in your water,
you may wish to have your water tested.
Information on lead in drinking water,
Infants and children who drink water containing lead could experience delays in
testing methods, and steps you can take
their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in
to minimize exposure is available from
attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-
could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. 426-4791 or at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Additional Monitoring
Unregulated contaminants are those for which the U.S. EPA has not established drinking water standards.
Monitoring helps the U.S. EPA determine where certain contaminants occur and whether regulation of those
contaminants is needed.
Substance Level Detected Range Year Typical Source
Naturally present in
Calcium (ppm) 39 34-46 2023
the environment
Naturally present in
Magnesium (ppm) 13 12-15 2023
the environment
Naturally present in
Hardness (ppm) 153 140-180 2023
the environment
Naturally present in
Sodium (ppm) 13 11-16 2023
the environment
Naturally present in
Sulfate (ppm) 33 28-40 2023
the environment
Haloacetic Acids Byproduct of drinking
34 27-46 2020
(HAA9) (ppb) water disinfection
CITY OF MUSKEGON
PAGE 05
WATER QUALITY REPORT 2023
TERMS AND
ABBREVIATIONS
Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if
exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirement that a water
system must follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a
contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a
contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as
close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment
technology.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level
of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing
evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of
microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level
of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the
use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
N/A: Not applicable
ND: not detectable at testing limit
ppm: parts per million or milligrams per liter
ppb: parts per billion or micrograms per liter
ppt: parts per trillion or nanograms per liter
Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce
the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
ntu: nephelometric turbidity units
Report Updates & Availability
We will update this report annually and will keep you informed of
any problems that may occur throughout the year as they happen.
This report will not be sent to you. Copies are available at Muskegon
City Hall (933 Terrace St), the City of Muskegon Public Service
Building (1350 East Keating Ave), and online at
muskegon-mi.gov/csresources/waterquality.pdf
CITY OF MUSKEGON
PAGE 06
WATER QUALITY REPORT 2023
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