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The Daily Insight

Can you drink the water in Ann Arbor?

Author

James Olson

Updated on April 26, 2026

“The water we drink in Ann Arbor is not suitable for drinking. Ann Arbor is installing new carbon filters at its water treatment plant to try to reduce PFAS levels in the water residents drink. PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have links to cancer, liver damage, birth defects and autoimmune diseases.

Keeping this in consideration, is it safe to drink tap water in Ann Arbor?

A: The university relies on the City of Ann Arbor to supply campus with safe drinking water that meets all current drinking water quality standards. There are currently no EPA standards for five additional PFAS compounds detected in the city's drinking water.

Furthermore, where does Ann Arbor get its water? The Ann Arbor water supply is comprised of both surface and groundwater sources. Approximately 85% of the water comes from the Huron River. The remaining 15% comes from multiple wells located south of Ann Arbor.

Similarly one may ask, can you drink tap water in Michigan?

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) enforces these standards through the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. About 25% of Michigan residents get their water from small water supplies such as private wells.

Is Ypsilanti Water Safe?

YCUA director says customers' drinking water is safe. The YCUA's headquarters in Ypsilanti Township. For those receiving water from the Ypsilanti Community Utility Authority, the answer is "no", according to YCUA director Jeff Castro.

Related Question Answers

Is Ann Arbor walkable?

Ann Arbor has an average Walk Score of 50 with 113,934 residents. The most walkable Ann Arbor neighborhoods are Downtown, West Park and South Main.

Is Ann Arbor safe?

Based on FBI crime data, Ann Arbor is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Michigan, Ann Arbor has a crime rate that is higher than 85% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes. However, as some of the other answers suggest, this is highly situational and location-specific.

How far is Ann Arbor from Chicago?

The distance between Chicago and Ann Arbor is 202 miles. The road distance is 241.3 miles.

How populous is Ann Arbor?

121,890 (2018)

Is it safe to swim in the Huron River?

The answer is a little complicated, but along most of the length of the Huron River, it is safe to swim. High bacteria counts have not been detected downstream of Kent Lake all the way to Argo Pond, and then, again downstream of Geddes Pond (Gallup Park) all the way to Lake Erie.

What does Pfas do to your body?

A growing body of science has found that there are potential adverse health impacts associated with PFAS exposure, including liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression and cancer. In the body, they primarily settle into the blood, kidney and liver.

How dangerous is Pfas?

A recent review from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines a host of health effects associated with PFAS exposure, including cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, and increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease.

Does Ann Arbor have hard water?

Water Hardness How well this process works varies seasonally with the water temperature. In 2012 the average hardness of Ann Arbor water was 129 mg/l or parts per million (ppm), and is generally lower in the summer and higher in the winter.

What state has the worst water?

States With the Worst Tap Water
  1. Texas. Texas leads the nation with GDP growth and job creation, but it also tops the list with the worst public water ratings in the United States.
  2. Florida.
  3. Pennsylvania.
  4. New Jersey.
  5. Georgia.
  6. Puerto Rico.
  7. Washington.
  8. Ohio.

What country has the worst water?

10 Countries With the Worst Drinking Water
  • Nations With the Worst Water. More than a quarter of the world's population – about 2.1 billion people – lack access to clean water, according to a report released this week by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
  • Mexico.
  • Congo.
  • Pakistan.
  • Bhutan.
  • Ghana.
  • Nepal.
  • Cambodia.

What city has cleanest water?

Read on to find the 10 cities that have the cleanest tap water.
  1. 1 Louisville Knows It Is All About The Filters.
  2. 2 Oklahoma City 's Water Comes From Man-Made Lakes.
  3. 3 Silverdale, Washington Knows How To Do Water.
  4. 4 Greenville Is A Great Place In South Carolina.
  5. 5 Fort Collins Has The Mountain Water.

Which cities have the worst water?

These Are the Places with the Worst Tap Water in America
  • Fresno, California. 1/13.
  • Modesto, California. 2/13.
  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 3/13.
  • Brady, Texas. 4/13.
  • Omaha, Nebraska. 5/13.
  • Houston, Texas. 6/13.
  • Midland, Texas. 7/13.
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 8/13.

What state has cleanest water?

The Ten Best States for Clean Water
Rank State
1 Hawaii
2 Alabama
3 Tennessee
4 Illinois

Where is the cleanest water in Michigan?

Torch Lake

Where is the dirtiest water in the world?

Where Is The Dirtiest Water In The World?
  • Citarum River. Citarum River in Indonesia has more than 500 factories built along its banks with each of them dumping their waste into the river.
  • Riachuela River. Riachuela River in Argentina is considered the largest open pit toilet in the world.
  • Lake Karachay.
  • Lake Tai.
  • Yamuna River.

What is the cleanest river in Michigan?

Huron River

When did Flint water crisis end?

Flint water crisis
Time April 25, 2014
Participants Residents of Flint, Michigan
Outcome 6,000–12,000 children exposed to lead Public health state of emergency 79 lawsuits Several investigations Four resignations Four firings Five suspensions Fifteen criminal indictments
Deaths 12 (from Legionnaires' disease)

Does Ann Arbor have clean water?

ANN ARBOR, MI – Ann Arbor officials are expressing confidence the city's water is safe to drink, despite being contaminated with PFAS chemicals that have links to cancer and other health problems.

How do you remove Pfas from water?

Water filtration technologies that remove PFAS In general, PFOS and PFOA resist most conventional chemical and microbial treatment technologies. The strongest proven technologies to filter PFAS out of drinking water include granular activated carbon absorption, ion exchange resins and reverse osmosis (1, 3).

What is water supply and treatment?

Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it more acceptable for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation or many other uses, including being safely returned to the environment.