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Battle Creek's Drinking Water
What's in Battle Creek's water?
With the exception of copper (mentioned below), the water delivered to Battle Creek homes and businesses complied with, or did better than, all state and federal drinking water requirements. The following tables show what substances were detected in Battle Creek's drinking water after 1999. Although all of the substances listed below are under the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we believe that it is important that you know exactly what was detected and how much of the substance was detected in the water.
You can also download a brochure that includes the results of Battle Creek's 2007 water testing, as well as other water facts, here (requires Adobe Acrobat reader).
| Substance (Units) | Year Sampled | Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or [Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL)] | Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) or [Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG)] | Amount Detected | Range Low-High | Violation | Typical Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic (ppb) | 2002 | 10 (Effective January 26, 2006. Before then, the MCL was 50 ppb.) | 0 (Effective January 26, 2006. Before then, there was no MCLG.) | 1 | NA | No | Erosion of natural deposits, runoff from orchards, runoff from glass and electronics production wastes. |
| Barium (ppm) | 2003 | 2 | 2 | 0.16 | NA | No | Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits. |
| Chlorine (ppm) | 2007 | [4] | [4] | 0.476 | 0.38 - 0.56 | No | Water additive used to control microbes. |
| 2006 | [4] | [4] | 0.435 | 0.37 - 0.47 | No | ||
| 2005 | [4] | [4] | 0.43 | 0.38 - 0.49 | No | ||
| 2004 | [4] | [4] | 0.55 | 0.37 - 0.59 | No | ||
| Ethylbenzene (ppb) | 2001 | 700 | 700 | 0.4 | NA | No | Discharge from petroleum refineries. |
| Fluoride (ppm) | 2007 | 4 | 4 | 1.4 | 0.83 - 1.4 | No | Erosion of natural deposits, water additive which promotes strong teeth, discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 | 1 | NA | No | ||
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | 1.1 | NA | No | ||
| 2004 | 4 | 4 | 1.1 | NA | No | ||
| 2003 | 4 | 4 | 1.2 | NA | No | ||
| 2002 | 4 | 4 | 1.1 | NA | No | ||
| 2001 | 4 | 4 | 1.1 | NA | No | ||
| 2000 | 4 | 4 | 1.1 | NA | No | ||
| Selenium (ppb) | 2003 | 50 | 50 | 2 | NA | No | Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines. |
| Total Coliform Bacteria (% positive samples) | 2007 | 5% positive monthly samples | 0 | 1% | NA | No | Naturally present in the environment. |
| 2006 | 5% positive monthly samples | 0 | 1% | NA | No | ||
| 2005 | 5% positive monthly samples | 0 | 1% | NA | No | ||
| 2004 | 5% positive samples | 0 | 1% | NA | No | ||
| 2002 | 5% positive samples | 0 | 1% | NA | No | ||
| 2001 | 5% positive samples | 0 | 1% | NA | No | ||
| 2000 | Less than 5% positive | 0 | 1% | 0 - 1% | No | ||
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) (ppb) | 2007 | 80 | NA | 53 | 41 - 53 | No | By-product of drinking water chlorination. |
| 2006 | 80 | NA | 65 | 49 - 65 | No | ||
| 2005 | 80 | NA | 52 | NA | No | ||
| 2004 | 80 | NA | 46.1 | 32.1 - 46.1 | No | ||
| 2003 | 80 | NA | 31 | 19.4 - 46.7 | No | ||
| 2002 | 80 | 0 | 34.9 | 21.3 - 42 | No | ||
| 2001 | 100 | 0 | 33.7 | 11.5 - 56.9 | No | ||
| 2000 | 100 | NA | 35.8 | 13.3 - 42.7 | No | ||
| Xylenes (ppm) | 2001 | 10 | 10 | 0.0032 | NA | No | Discharge from petroleum factories, discharge from chemical factories. |
| Substance (Units) | Year Sampled | Action Level (AL) | Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) | Amount Detected (90th percentile) | Homes above Action Level | Range Low-High | Violation | Typical Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper (ppm) | 2006 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.621 | 0 | No | Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits, leaching from wood preservatives. | |
| 2005 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.913 | 1 | No | |||
| 2004 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.802 | 1 | No | |||
| 2000 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.37 | 4 | 0.4 - 2.4 | Yes | ||
| Lead (ppb) | 2006 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | No | Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits. | |
| 2005 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | No | |||
| 2004 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | No | |||
| 2000 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 - 70 | No |
| Substance (Units) | Year Sampled | Amount Detected | Range Low-High | Typical Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromodichloromethane (ppb) | 2002 | 5.2 | 3.8 - 6.2 | By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
| 2000 | 10.7 | 7.1 - 15.0 | ||
| Bromoform (ppb) | 2002 | 1.5 | 1.1 - 2.5 | By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
| 2001 | 1.4 | 0.6 - 1.8 | ||
| 2000 | 1.2 | 0.4 - 1.9 | ||
| Chlorodibromomethane (ppb) | 2002 | 5.3 | 3.3 - 7.3 | By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
| 2001 | 9.3 | 4.0 - 12.1 | ||
| 2000 | 8.1 | 5.7 - 12.0 | ||
| Chloroform (ppb) | 2002 | 5.5 | 3.1 - 10.4 | By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
| 2001 | 10.8 | 2.3 - 23.8 | ||
| 2000 | 9.7 | 4.7 - 15.9 | ||
| Dibromomethane (ppb) | 2001 | 12.2 | 4.0 - 19.4 | By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
| Sodium (ppm) | 2007 | 14 | NA | Naturally present in the environment, road salting, septic systems. |
| 2006 | 14 | NA | ||
| 2005 | 13 | NA | ||
| 2004 | 14 | NA | ||
| 2003 | 10 | NA | ||
| 2002 | 12 | NA | ||
| 2001 | 12 | NA | ||
| Sulfate (ppm) | 2001 | 58 | NA | Naturally present in the environment. |
Table definitions
- Action Level (AL):
- The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements a water system must follow.
- 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 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 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 contamination.
- NA:
- Not applicable.
- Not detected (ND):
- Indicates that the substance was not found by laboratory analysis.
- Parts per billion (ppb):
- One part per billion (or micrograms per liter) is equivalent to one penny in $10,000,000.
- Parts per million (ppm):
- One part per million (or milligrams per liter) is equivalent to one penny in $10,000.
Should I be concerned about sodium in my drinking water?
No. Sodium levels in drinking water from most public water systems are unlikely to be a significant contributor to adverse health effects. According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), water is rated excellent with respect to sodium if test results are 20 ppm or lower.
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Last modified:
July 01, 2008