Our qualified staff of water utility professionals are dedicated to providing our customers with the best quality drinking water possible and we continue to meet or exceed all State and Federal regulatory requirements.
The environmental services lab operates 7 days a week, 365 days a year conducting more than 145,000 tests per year for more than 100 contaminants.
If you have any specific concerns or other questions, we look forward to answering them. We can be reached at 734.994.2840 or [email protected].
Fish owners
Using untreated city drinking water in fish tanks, ponds and aquariums is harmful to fish and any organism with gills. Ammonia is present in the city’s drinking water at approximately 0.25 parts per million (mg/L). This ammonia is bound with chlorine in the water to form the water supply’s disinfectant, chloramine. While ammonia at these levels has no adverse impact on humans or other mammals, it is harmful to fish or any organism with gills. Therefore, the ammonia must be deactivated before using city water in a pond or aquarium containing fish. It is important to note that simply removing the chlorine from the water will not remove the ammonia. Instead, fish owners may add certain chemicals to the water to deactivate the ammonia. Products containing these chemicals can be purchased at local pet supply and aquarium shops. The city recommends fish owners consult with a pond or aquarium professional to select the appropriate product.
Fluoride
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can help prevent cavities - especially in children. Fluoride works by strengthening tooth enamel and even by reversing some early tooth decay. Fluoride can be found in water, soil, air, and rocks.
Water fluoridation involves the addition of small amounts of fluoride to public water supplies in order to reduce the prevalence of cavities. Fluoride is also used in dental products such as toothpaste and mouthwash.
Learn more by reading the
Fluoride in Ann Arbor Fact Sheet.
Lead
Lead is regulated under Michigan’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) which requires communities to locate and prioritize pipes for removal. It also decreases the action limit for lead in drinking water. To learn about Ann Arbor’s specific plans to locate and prioritize pipes for removal visit
www.a2gov.org/LCR. The most recent data from Ann Arbor homes indicates that the lead level in our drinking water is well below the established action levels. However, the city does offer one free lead test per household. To request your test, please enter your information into this
online form and someone will contact you with further information.
Basic
chemical water quality measures are available on a monthly basis. A more detailed listing of measures are available on the annual water quality report.
Perfluorinated Compounds (PFOA/PFOS)
Perfluorinated compounds are typically associated with the manufacture of carpeting, personal care products, cookware (e.g., Teflon), and other products. All the latest information on the issue is available on our PFAS information page.
Ann Arbor is one of the most aggressive water treatment utilities in the actions we are taking without any regulatory drivers. It’s why we replaced all of our existing filter media with new carbon to purify out PFOA/PFOS.
Even though the water quality is exceeding the EPA’s standards, that’s not good enough for us, which is why we continue to seek ways to improve our treatment processes and to learn more about other emerging contaminants. City Staff are actively following the research as it is released on new types of PFAS. As analytical techniques to measure new PFAS compounds become available, the City is employing these techniques. The City’s drinking water remains below health-screening levels for PFAS. Nothing is more important to us than keeping Ann Arbor’s drinking water safe, which is why we are dedicated to remaining leaders in proactively addressing this issue.
