For over 50 years, concerns about the safety of Wyandotte's drinking water have been voiced by numerous water quality experts including United States EPA staff, State of Michigan EGLE/DEQ staff, and experienced scientists of private water quality labs. Despite these warnings, the concern of substandard water quality continues due to continued industrial pollution, as well as outdated and inadequate local infrastructure. There is a 50+ year history of public health safety violations in regard to water criteria in the Detroit River immediately upstream from where the City of Wyandotte currently sources its drinking water, source. 

Drinking water quality tests are currently performed every quarter, just 4x a year. These tests search for regulated chemicals, but fail to include all of the known chemicals in the water such as benzene. This difference in testing has been acknowledged by both the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and EGLE as a data gap.  

We must remember that the absence of evidence does not mean evidence of absence. Just because the known pollutants have not been captured in the small 4x yearly tests doesn't mean that those chemicals never make it into the intake. 

There are 17 documented carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) present in the Detroit River directly above the Wyandotte intake and no amount of their presence in our drinking water is safe.   

It's crucial for Wyandotte to explore alternatives to the current intake in order to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens. One viable solution is to connect Wyandotte's water system to Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), a regional entity known for its reliable and safe water services. This move would provide residents with high-quality drinking water and alleviate longstanding fears of chemical exposures due to sourcing drinking water from a contaminated stretch of the Detroit River. 

Obtaining a cleaner source of drinking water is crucial for protecting the wellbeing of our community and striving for a healthier future for all residents and visitors. Each effort made at reducing a person's exposure to contaminants is a step toward protecting our very lives. 

This petition is to urge the Wyandotte City Council to request from GLWA feasibility information on connecting to the GLWA infrastructure. GLWA infrastructure is already located within Wyandotte, see this GLWA map. Our group has requested GLWA to conduct the feasibility assessment, but GLWA advised that the request needs to come from Wyandotte City Council or EGLE. Our group then requested EGLE to act, but EGLE insists that the City of Wyandotte must request it.  

Join us in asking for this information. Sign this petition to advocate for safer drinking water for everyone in Wyandotte, including residents, visitors, students, and patients receiving care at the Wyandotte hospital and medical facilities.

Wyandotte deserves better than to drink potentially contaminated water.

We believe the polluters should be held accountable for the risks they've imposed on the current Wyandotte municipal water intake.