Kalamazoo Public Water Supply
What public records show about the drinking water serving Kalamazoo, Michigan— EPA's own databases plus the utility's annual reporting, read the way Hearth reads them for the households it watches over. Awareness, not alarm: this is the same report your utility already sends you, made easier to understand.
EPA-recognized source water protection program since 2004 — a positive signal that the utility actively manages where its water comes from.
- LocalizedBoil Water Advisory: 3513 and 3519 Portage Street.Issued Oct 7, 2026 · Lifted Oct 9, 2026Read the notice
- LocalizedBoil Water Advisory: W Cedar StIssued Oct 15, 2026 · Lifted Oct 19, 2026Read the notice
- Active nowScope unknownScheduled Boil Water Advisory: Denner, Summit, W North, Jefferson
A precautionary boil water advisory will be issued for some customers on these streets on Tuesday, October 27, at approximately 8 a.m.
Until it’s lifted, boil tap water for two minutes before drinking, cooking, making ice, or brushing teeth — or use bottled water. Showering, laundry, and washing are fine.
Issued Oct 22, 2026Read the notice - Active nowLocalizedScheduled Boil Water Advisory: W Alcott St, Haveman Ct, Stetson Ct
A precautionary boil water advisory will be issued on Thursday, October 29, at approximately 10 a.m. for some customers on these streets.
Until it’s lifted, boil tap water for two minutes before drinking, cooking, making ice, or brushing teeth — or use bottled water. Showering, laundry, and washing are fine.
Issued Oct 27, 2026Read the notice
Watching the city's own advisory page. Hearth checks every 30 minutes and has recorded advisories since Sep 22, 2026.
2 items appear in EPA's records for this system over the last five years, all resolved or administrative.
EPA's violation records count paperwork and monitoring lapses alongside health-based issues — none of the recent items were health-based.
Hearth surfaces any detection, even below EPA's action level — action levels are regulatory thresholds, not health-safety ones.
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called “forever chemicals” — are the contaminant family regulators are watching most closely right now. Utilities test for them under EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule and report results in their annual water quality reports.
5 PFAS compounds appear in the most recent report's monitoring data — all below current federal limits. Detections at any level are worth knowing about, which is why every one is listed below rather than rounded away.
Across the 6 annual reports on file (2020–2025): 4 trending down · 1 trending up. The per-compound readings are in the detected list below.
Everything the utility's 2025 Water Quality Report lists as detected, each level shown against the limit the report measures it by — with the year-over-year trend across the 6 reports on file (2020–2025). Detected doesn't mean dangerous: most readings sit well below their limits, and the tier on each row says how Hearth reads it.
- PFAS — the “forever chemicals”Worth knowing
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a large family of synthetic 'forever chemicals' that don't break down in the environment or the body and accumulate over time. They come from industrial discharge, firefighting foam, and stain- and water-resistant treatments. EPA finalized enforceable limits in 2024 for several of them, with some individual compounds set as low as 4 parts per trillion and a 2029 compliance deadline. Because those limits are so low and the health concerns — developmental, immune, and cancer effects — attach to long-term accumulation, any detected level is worth knowing about, even well under the limit. A carbon-block filter certified to NSF P473, or reverse osmosis, removes them; ordinary carafe pitchers are unreliable for PFAS.
- PFBS5.2 ppt / 420 ppt limitFallingwas 7.4 ppt in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
- PFOS3.7 ppt / 16 ppt limitFallingwas 5.7 ppt in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
- PFHxA3.6 ppt / 400000 ppt limitRisingwas 2.7 ppt in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
- PFHxS2.8 ppt / 51 ppt limitFallingwas 4 ppt in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
- PFOA2.1 ppt / 8 ppt limitFallingwas 3.1 ppt in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
- ArsenicWorth knowing7.8 ppb / 10 ppb limitRisingwas 0.64 ppb in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Arsenic occurs naturally in many rock formations and enters groundwater as it dissolves — so it's primarily a concern for groundwater systems and private wells. Long-term exposure is linked to several cancers and cardiovascular effects. Carbon filters only partially address it; reverse osmosis or distillation is the reliable household treatment.
EPA reference → - CopperContext0.8 ppm / 1.3 ppm limitFallingwas 1 ppm in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Copper, like lead, comes from corrosion of household plumbing rather than the water source. Short-term exposure to elevated copper can cause stomach upset; long-term exposure can affect liver and kidney function in people with copper-sensitive conditions like Wilson's disease. The same flushing and filtration steps that address lead generally address copper too — copper is comparatively easier to remove and most household carbon filters handle it.
EPA reference → - Total TrihalomethanesContext33.8 ppb / 80 ppb limitRisingwas 28.5 ppb in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Trihalomethanes form when the chlorine a utility uses to disinfect reacts with naturally occurring organic matter in the water. They're a near-universal tradeoff of safe, disinfected tap water — the federal limit balances disinfection-byproduct risk against the much larger risk of waterborne disease. A carbon filter removes them readily; counterintuitively, boiling concentrates them rather than removing them.
EPA reference → - ChlorineContext1.02 ppm / 4 ppm limitRisingwas 0.9 ppm in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Chlorine — and chloramine, a longer-lasting chlorine-and-ammonia blend many utilities use — is the disinfectant added to kill bacteria and viruses. A residual detected at your tap is intentional: it's what keeps the water safe all the way from the plant to your home, and the federal limit caps how much may remain. At normal levels it's a safety feature, not a contaminant. If you dislike the taste or smell, an activated-carbon filter (a pitcher or under-sink unit) removes it readily — chloramine just needs a bit more carbon contact time than free chlorine.
EPA reference → - LeadContext3 ppb / 12 ppb limitFallingwas 9 ppb in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Lead enters drinking water primarily from corrosion of older household plumbing and lead service lines, not from the water source itself. There is no known safe level of lead exposure — the federal action level is the threshold at which a utility must take corrective steps, not a target. Most exposure happens at the tap, so flushing water that's sat in pipes overnight before drinking is the simplest mitigation, and a tap filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead removes more than 99% of remaining lead.
EPA reference → - Haloacetic AcidsContext13.3 ppb / 60 ppb limitFallingwas 16.2 ppb in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Haloacetic acids are the second regulated family of disinfection byproducts, formed the same way as trihalomethanes — chlorine reacting with organic matter. Like TTHMs they're a byproduct of the disinfection that makes tap water safe, removed effectively by carbon filtration and concentrated rather than removed by boiling.
EPA reference → - FluorideContext0.68 ppm / 4 ppm limitStablewas 0.68 ppm in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Most utilities add fluoride deliberately, targeting roughly 0.7 mg/L for dental health — so a detected level in that range is intentional, not contamination. The federal MCL of 4 mg/L guards against the skeletal effects of much higher long-term exposure. Removing fluoride is a personal/values choice rather than a safety necessity at typical added levels, and it requires reverse osmosis or distillation; carbon filters don't touch it.
EPA reference → - 1,2-DichloroethaneContext0.85 ppb / 5 ppb limitStablewas 0.85 ppb in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
1,2-Dichloroethane is an industrial solvent and a volatile organic compound — when it shows up in drinking water it usually traces back to an industrial release or a contaminated-site plume rather than the water source. Carbon filtration removes it well. Where it co-occurs with a nearby Superfund chlorinated-solvent site, the connection is worth understanding even when the treated water tests compliant.
EPA reference → - NitrateContext1.1 mg/L / 10 mg/L limitTrend unclearwas 1.2 mg/L in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Nitrate enters water mainly from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and animal waste, so it tends to be elevated in agricultural areas. It's the one common contaminant with an acute rather than cumulative risk: high nitrate is dangerous for infants under six months ('blue baby syndrome'). Carbon filters do not remove it — reverse osmosis, distillation, or a nitrate-selective ion-exchange unit is required.
EPA reference → - BariumContext0.11 ppm / 2 ppm limitFallingwas 0.19 ppm in 2024 · 6 readings · 2020–2025
Barium occurs naturally in mineral deposits and can dissolve into groundwater. At levels above the federal limit, long-term exposure can raise blood pressure. Reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and distillation all address it.
EPA reference → - DibromochloromethaneContext3.39 ppb / 80 ppb limitStablewas 3.58 ppb in 2024 · 3 readings · 2023–2025
Dibromochloromethane is one of the four trihalomethane species — disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in the source water. It isn't regulated on its own; it counts toward the combined 80 ppb Total Trihalomethanes limit. Like the rest of the family, a carbon filter removes it readily, and boiling concentrates it rather than removing it.
EPA reference → - cis-1,2-DichloroethyleneContext0.71 ppb / 70 ppb limit
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene is a breakdown product of industrial solvents like trichloroethylene, so it commonly appears alongside other VOCs near contaminated sites. It's a volatile organic compound that carbon filtration addresses effectively.
EPA reference → - SodiumContext75 mg/LStablewas 75 mg/L in 2024 · 5 readings · 2020–2025
Sodium reaches drinking water from natural mineral deposits, road-salt runoff, and water-softening. There is no federal limit — EPA offers only advisory guidance, suggesting people on physician-directed very-low-sodium diets know their water's level (tap water is a minor sodium source next to food for everyone else). Reverse osmosis or distillation reduces it; a standard carbon filter does not.
EPA reference → - 2-ButanoneContext4.49 ppbFallingwas 5.26 ppb in 2024 · 3 readings · 2023–2025
2-Butanone — methyl ethyl ketone, or MEK — is a common industrial solvent found in paints, adhesives, and coatings. It has no federal drinking-water standard; when a utility prints it, that's routine monitoring transparency rather than a compliance finding. It's volatile and breaks down relatively quickly in water, and carbon filtration addresses it.
EPA reference →
Personalized to the 2025 report's detected contaminants (highlighted below). Cell shading shows how effective each technology is — the point is which single setup gives the most coverage per dollar, not the longest shopping list. A carbon block + reverse osmosis together cover what's detected in 2025.
Covers 6 of 9 detected: Lead, PFAS (PFOA, PFOS), Trihalomethanes, Haloacetic acids, VOCs (1,2-DCE, cis-DCE), and Chlorine / chloramine.
~$200 install · ~$60/yr cartridgesAdds coverage for Fluoride, Arsenic, and Nitrate.
~$350 install · ~$100/yr membranes & filters| Contaminant | Carbon block | Pitcher | RO | Softener | Distill / UV | Install |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lead 3 ppb · in your water | full | partial | full | — | full | tap only |
PFAS (PFOA, PFOS) Detected · in your water | full | unreliable | full | — | full | tap only |
Trihalomethanes 33.8 ppb · in your water | full | partial | full | — | full | either |
Haloacetic acids 13.3 ppb · in your water | full | partial | full | — | full | either |
VOCs (1,2-DCE, cis-DCE) Detected · in your water | full | full | full | — | partial | either |
Fluoride 0.68 ppm · in your water | — | — | full | — | full | tap only |
Chlorine / chloramine 1.02 ppm · in your water | full | full | full | — | full | either |
Arsenic 7.8 ppb · in your water | partial | — | full | — | full | tap only |
Nitrate 1.1 mg/L · in your water | — | — | full | partial | full | tap only |
Hardness (Ca / Mg) Feeds maintenance planning | — | — | partial | full | full | whole house |
Iron / manganese Often treated at the source | — | — | partial | partial | full | whole house |
Bacteria / viruses Disinfected — rarely detected | — | — | full | — | full | either |
- Full removal (NSF certified)
- Partial / variable
- Unreliable
- Detected in Kalamazoo's water
Certifications matter more than brand: a $20 pitcher and a $400 under-sink unit can both say “carbon filter.” The NSF/ANSI standards — 53 for lead and VOCs, 58 for reverse osmosis, P473 for PFAS — mean the unit was actually tested against those contaminants. Look products up in NSF's official certified-product database — Hearth doesn't sell filters or earn commissions on them.
19 contaminants tracked · all detections below federal limits — the full list is above.
Every report shared through Hearth deepens the trend history on this page for everyone on the system. Have a year that's missing? Add it.
- Learn. Read the EPA reference linked beside each contaminant above — they explain the health context in plain terms, written for homeowners, not regulators.
- Test your own tap. The water leaving the treatment plant isn't always the water at your faucet — lead and copper enter from your home's own plumbing. A certified tap test, or a kit from your county health department, closes that gap.
- Get involved. Your water utility holds public meetings and publishes its annual report. The contact below is your direct line to ask questions about anything in this document.
Published by EPA and in the utility's annual report as the way to reach Kalamazoo's water system — ask about your water or its testing program.
- EPA SDWIS / Envirofacts — water system inventory and violations
- EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling (90th-percentile results)
- EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (PFAS monitoring)
- The utility's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (annual water quality report)Uploaded to Hearth June 25, 2026
About this data: compiled from public EPA records and utility reporting; this page regenerates at most once a day, so recent changes can take a day to appear. Hearth is not affiliated with EPA or with this utility, and this page is not a substitute for the utility's own notices. How Hearth reads these sources.