Residential water wells test positive for PFAS pollution

By Sheri Mcwhirter | Traverse City Record Eagle | November 18, 2020

Read the full article by Sheri Mcwhirter (Traverse City Record Eagle)

“TRAVERSE CITY — Dan and Hillerie Rettelle have health problems. They also have confirmed PFAS contamination in their water well — a lot of it.

The couple is convinced there’s more than just a correlation there. They live at their home on Avenue B in East Bay Township, where public health officials recently tested their drinking water following the discovery of high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the groundwater near the Pine Grove subdivision.

The Rettelles’ well test results came in Friday and showed a collective 840-plus parts per trillion of PFAS chemicals — as much as 35 times the maximum contaminant levels for drinking water for the two most prominent toxins found.

‘You think, ‘OK, that’s horrible. How long has it been like that?’’ said Dan Rettelle.

He said it’s the second-highest level among the 15 homes tested in the first round of screenings for the 20 homes and one business thought to be impacted because of water well use. He learned that during a Friday conference call with state, local and health officials.

Health officials confirmed some PFAS levels were discovered in all 15 wells. The highest level found in a drinking water well was 1,300 ppt of the chemical PFOS, known to be associated with firefighting foam.

The state’s limit for that chemical in drinking water is 16 ppt.

The Rettelles said they quickly began to see connections to their health problems.

Dan Rettelle said he recently underwent multiple cancer screenings and his wife has endured spinal deterioration issues in recent years, including an upcoming shoulder surgery. And that’s after she had a hysterectomy two years ago when her uterus was found to be ‘filled with benign tumors,’ Hillerie Rettelle said.

They are convinced their health problems may be because of the chemicals in their water. And nobody yet knows for how long.

‘We’ve all had possible problems with exposure,’ Dan Rettelle said. ‘I want to get my blood tested and see how much is in my body.’

Health officials said they have good reason to worry…”

This content provided by the PFAS Project.