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Water at East Rockford Middle School determined to be safe

Posted at 8:58 AM, Oct 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-25 21:37:35-04

ROCKFORD, Mich. - The water tested at East Rockford Middle School and a property on Ramsdell Drive in Cannon Township has been determined to be safe.

According to Dr. Mike Shibler, Superintendent of Rockford Public Schools, he received a lab report last night stating there were no detectable PFAS at Rockford East Middle School. Rose & Westra, Inc. was the lab that tested the water at East Rockford Middle School.

The wells were tested after concerns of contamination from an old dumping site for the former Wolverine tannery in Rockford.  The dump site has been closed for several years.

Recent tests on the Rockford and Plainfield municipal water systems have also come back safe, according to the company.

The school district disconnected the drinking fountains and began using bottled water a couple of weeks ago due to concerns of contamination of their well. Cannonsburg Elementary, Crestwood Elementary and Lakes Elementary are still having their water sources tested as a precautionary measure, according to the school district.

A Wolverine press release says that the dumping site on Ramsdell Drive was primarily construction debris with some leather and rubber scraps and PFAs were not detected in the wells.  They say the waste at that site was dumped there in the 1970s with the permission of the landowner at the time.

Wolverine has set up a website for nearby residents to get updates on the situation.  Visit www.wolverineworldwide.com/about-us/environment .