Close Menu
    Facebook
    Facebook
    City of Three Rivers Michigan
    Meetings NoticeOrd. 847/848Water Info
    • Calendars
      • City Calendar
      • Meeting Calendar
    • City Info
      • Address and Hours
      • City Directory
      • Submit a Question
      • Three Rivers Industrial Parks
      • Water & Sewer Questions
    • Boards and Commissions
      • All Public Meeting Agendas
      • City Commissioners
      • City Commission Meetings
      • Planning Commission Meetings
    • Departments
      • Administrative Services
      • Building & Zoning
      • City Clerk
      • Finance Department
        • Tax Billing/Collections FAQ
        • Local Finances
      • Fire Department
      • Industrial Parks
        • Development Authority
        • General Information
        • Features & Location
      • Municipal Airport
      • Parks
        • City Parks
        • Shelter Reservations
        • Summer Programs at Scidmore Park
      • Police Department
        • Code Enforcement
        • Police Department FAQ
        • Skateboarding in the City FAQ
      • Public Services (DPS)
        • Drinking Water
        • Maps / GIS
        • Public Parks
        • Water & Sewer
      • Public Utilities
        • Pay Your Bill Online
        • Utility Billing FAQs
        • Water/Sewer Repair FAQs
      • Riverside Cemetery
      • Wastewater Treatment Plant
    • Jobs
    • Master Plan
    • Notices: Bids
    City of Three Rivers Michigan

    Notice to Residents – Drinking Water Info

    0
    By > on August 3, 2023 Public Announcements, Recent News

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – THREE RIVERS, MI
    NOTICE TO RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF THREE RIVERS
    IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

    Update 8/29 |  Public Notice (PDF)  |  Tips to Reduce Exposure  |  Additional Resources

    The City of Three Rivers has been conducting testing of tap water in homes for lead and copper in accordance with the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act since 1992. In 2018, the Michigan Lead and Copper Rule was changed to better protect your health.  New rules regarding sample site selection and sampling methodology have been added to better detect possible lead in your drinking water.

    These rule changes require communities with known lead service lines collect a 1st liter sample that tests lead levels in the home plumbing and a 5th liter sample that tests lead levels in the service line.  This new sampling method was expected to result in higher lead results, not because the water source or quality for residents has changed, but because the act has more stringent sampling procedures.

    The City of Three Rivers recently found more lead service lines. This is our first round of collecting a 1st and 5th liter sample from all of our sampling locations. We recently collected samples from 47 homes. Six homes had results over 15 parts per billion (ppb).

    The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) evaluates compliance with the Action Level based on the 90th percentile of lead and copper results collected in each round of sampling.  The lead 90th percentile for the City’s water supply is 19 ppb, which exceeds the Action Level of 15 ppb.

    The “Action Level” is a measure of corrosion control effectiveness; it is not a health-based standard. The goal for lead in drinking water is 0 ppb; there is no safe level of lead in the blood.

    An “Action Level Exceedance” means that more than 10% of the homes tested have results over 15 ppb. The exceedance triggers additional actions including educational outreach to customers, ongoing sampling every six months, assessing the corrosivity of the water, and service line replacement.

    Lead can enter drinking water when in contact with pipes, solder, home/building interior plumbing, fittings and fixtures that contain lead. Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water. The more time water has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain. Therefore, if your water has not been used for several hours, run the water before using it for drinking or cooking. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes. Additional flushing may be required for homes that have been vacant or have a longer service line.

    Public Announcement (PDF)

    _
    Joe Bippus, City Manager: 269-273-1075

    Amy Roth, Public Services Director: 269-273-1845

     



    Tips to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water

    • Run your water to flush out lead-containing water.
      • If you do not have a lead service line, run the water for 30 seconds to two minutes, or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature.
      • If you do have a lead service line, run the water for at least five minutes to flush water from your home or building’s plumbing and the lead service line.
    • Everyone can consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water.  The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends every household use a certified lead filter to reduce lead from their drinking water, especially households with a child, or a child that frequently visits the home, pregnant person, or individual with high blood pressure, or people residing in houses built before 1987. MDHHS also recommends making baby formula or cooking with filtered water.
      • Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction (Class I).
      • For filters to work properly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
      • UPDATE (8/4/23):  MDHHS recommends that residents need new filters six (6) months after the initial filter distribution.  After that, MDHHS estimates residents will need to receive and replace filter cartridges roughly every four (4) months.
      • MDHHS is offering free certified lead-reducing filters and replacement cartridges to eligible households.  Eligibility criteria are:
        • A child under 18 or a pregnant person lives in the home, or a child frequently visits the home, and
        • A member of the household is enrolled in Medicaid or WIC, or the household is unable to afford a filter.
      • Filters can be obtained at:
        UPDATE (10/1/24):  filters are no longer available from the City or CHA.
        City of Three Rivers
        Department of Public Services
        1015 S. Lincoln Avenue
        Three Rivers, MI
        Phone: 269-273-1845
        Hours:  M-F 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
        Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph
        Community Health Agency
        1110 Hill Street
        Three Rivers, MI
        Phone: 269-273-2161
        Hours:  M-F 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

        _

    • Do not use hot water for drinking, preparing food, or cooking, or preparing or preparing baby formula.
    • Do not boil your water as boiling will not reduce the amount of lead in water.
    • Clean your faucet aerator to remove trapped debris.
    • Check whether your home has a lead service line. Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water.

    City of Three Rivers will soon send a comprehensive public education document about lead in drinking water. We will be collecting at least forty (40) samples every six months and reviewing the results to determine if corrective actions are necessary to reduce corrosion in household plumbing.

    If you are a City of Three Rivers water customer and would like your service line inspected or would like to learn about testing your water for lead, contact the City of Three Rivers Department of Public Services at 269-273-1845 or visit Michigan.gov/EGLElab for a list of certified labs.

    If you are operating a food establishment such as a store, restaurant, bar, or food manufacturing establishment please visit this page Michigan.gov/mdardleadinfo for specific information for food firms.

    Additional information regarding lead can be found at City of Three Rivers’ website or at EGLE and MDHHS websites: Michigan.gov/EGLELeadPublicAdvisory or Michigan.gov/MILeadSafe.

    _
    Posted August 3, 2023
    __

    _

     


    Additional Resources:

    For the City’s annual water quality reports, click here.

     Lead Education

    • Know the facts about lead
    • Well fed means less lead 
    • Adult exposure to lead
    • Pregnant and Breastfeeding Persons

     Lead in Drinking Water

    • Cleaning your aerators
    • How Lead Gets into Drinking Water Video
    • How can I protect myself from lead in water? Video
    • PUR faucet filter installation
    • How to use your PUR pitcher
    • BRITA faucet filter installation 
    • How to use your BRITA pitcher filter

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Posts

    2025 Spring Cleanup

    2025 City Newsletter

    Styrofoam Recycling

    Water Main Replacements

    water-replacements-map

    New Businesses
    Development

    Permitting

    Planning

    Zoning

    Downloads
    City Code

    Citizen Interest

    Forms and Ordinances

    Freedom of Info (FOIA)

    Improvement Plans

    Payments & Finance

    Fee Schedule

    Finance Dept.

    Online Billpay

    Utility Billing

    Three Rivers Video Tour
    threerivers_video-tour-button
    Community Links
    • Alzheimers Support
    • Chamber of Commerce
    • Community Foundation
    • Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services
    • Downtown Development Authority
    • Enterprise Industrial Park (video)
    • Industrial Parks
    • Non-Discrimination (Title VI)
    • Pay Your Water/Sewer Bill Online
    • Public Library
    • River Country Recreational Authority
    • Riverside Cemetery
    • Safe Home (Child Safety)
    • Safe Storage (Weed: Lock It Up)
    • Senior Care Homes and Living Communities
    • Social Security Offices (nearby)
    • St. Joseph County Commission on Aging
    • St. Joseph County Economic Development
    • St. Joseph County Human Services
    • St. Joseph County United Way Fund
    • State Driver’s License Handbook
    • State Municipal League (MML)
    • Three Rivers Area Mentoring
    • Three Rivers Health
    • Three Rivers PROMISE
    • TR Community Players
    • TR Community Schools
    Construction Links
    • Building Information – SAFEbuilt
    • Digging Requests & Notices (MISS DIG)
    Tax Records and Maps
    • City of Three Rivers District Map (8½x11)
    • City of Three Rivers Reference Map (11×17)
    • St. Joseph County Property Tax Records Search
    • St. Joseph County Tax Maps
    Tech/Web Links
    • Tech. Help – Geek Genius
    Farmer’s Market Information
    farmers-market-green2
    About Three Rivers
    About Three Rivers

    The City of Three Rivers is located approximately 20 miles south of Kalamazoo, MI. We were founded by settlers who used the Three Rivers to transport goods. The St. Joseph River and the Portage & Rocky Rivers all converge near the city center, making this area an ideal location for trading and commerce.

    Today, we continue to enjoy the many benefits of living in such a great location. We invite you to visit and fish our many lakes, kayak our rivers, play in our parks, and enjoy the cultural benefits of having such a richly diverse community.

    Location Map
    Quick Contact Info

    Clerk’s Office
    (269) 273-1075, ext 108

    Billing/Accounts Payable
    (269) 273-1075, ext 106

    Finance Department
    (269) 273-1075, ext 109

    Human Resources
    (269) 273-1075, ext 162

    Payroll/Accounting
    (269) 273-1075, ext 111

    Water/Utility Billing
    (269) 273-1075, ext 110

    ©2024 City of Three Rivers, Michigan | All Rights Reserved | Website powered by Geek Genius

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.