State help sought for water safety

For now, let’s forget about Flint’s water woes. Independence Township Supervisor Pat Kittle is thinking the problem is much more local.
The supervisor met with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to discuss water quality issues stemming from leaking underground storage tanks (see “Water quality is national news, is our water safe?,” on page 19.)
‘This problem is very troublesome. It worries me,? Kittle said. ‘We put all of the LUST (Leaking Underground Storage Tanks) sites on a map and calculated how plumes of pollution can spread over time. It’s a bad situation.?
The township has about 1,100 private wells near underground leaking tanks, he said.
‘Everyone on a private well should have their water tested,? Kittle said.
Tests are about $100 each, and are done by the MDEQ. Independence Township has the second highest rate of arsenic in Oakland County, next to Brandon Township. Arsenic, which occurs naturally, has been filtered from the water system beginning in 2006.
For the last year, the Robinson family has been receiving water from MDEQ at their Maple Drive home in Independence Township because their well is contaminated with gasoline.
Michigan ranks in the top five states for leaking underground tanks, with over 8,500 known leaks at 6,700 sites including gas stations, community government buildings, schools, and businesses, according to Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Half of the sites are ‘orphaned,? with no responsible party but the state. Cleanup costs for known leaks are an estimated $1 billion.
Gas stations also self report how much gas they sold versus how much gas was purchased. They also report their own leaks.
Kittle said self-reporting is unacceptable, so he has the Independence Township Fire Department doing the job.