This is a summary of a local news report published in late 2018. Details come from that report and may have changed since.

What was reported

Residents of an apartment complex in Pullman, Michigan, were told in late 2018 not to drink their water. Routine sampling of the complex’s well water by the state environmental agency, then called the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, found a high level of cadmium, a heavy metal. The county health department issued a health advisory as a result.

Why cadmium matters

Health agencies note that long-term exposure to cadmium in food or water can damage the kidneys and bones, and it is classed as a carcinogen. That is why the county told residents to avoid the water until retesting could show the situation had changed.

What residents were told

According to the report, the county asked residents not to drink the water, cook with it or use it for baby formula. It said bathing was acceptable. Bottled water was being provided, and the county’s environmental health manager said officials would repeat sampling and decide whether the advisory should continue.

Possible next steps

The county said the state agency could require the property’s owners to repair or replace the wells, or even close the building, if results did not improve. If readings fell, the water might instead be monitored more often. The report did not give a date for any changes.

Residents’ reactions

Some people living in the complex said they would stay with bottled water for now but would consider moving if the problem continued. Others said that, for them, moving was not affordable. One resident compared the situation to the Flint water crisis in Michigan, although on a much smaller scale. That was her personal comparison, not an official finding.

Takeaways for well users

• Private and small-system wells are not always covered by the same testing rules as large public supplies, so owners and managers should check what applies in their area.
• A health advisory is an official instruction, and following it is more reliable than judging water by taste or colour.
• Boiling does not remove metals such as cadmium; it can concentrate them.
• Anyone worried about their own water can ask the local health department about certified laboratory testing.

For more about drinking-water topics, return to the blog or read the article on pH levels and your water.