Michigan
Water Quality in the State of Michigan
Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the US. It is the only state that is comprised of two peninsulas. The upper peninsula is more sparsely populated but is essential to the state’s tourism due to its abundance of breathtaking landscapes. The lower peninsula carries the majority of the state’s population and plays an important economic role for the US. Michigan is America’s automotive epicenter, housing industry giants such as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.
Detroit water, the largest water utility in Michigan and the second-largest utility in the US, receives water from the Detroit River and Lake Huron. The water supply travels through 2,700 miles of water mains to service Detroit residents and surrounding communities.
Water Hardness Summary
Michigan water is considered hard to very hard. Detroit Metro area has moderately hard water, at 104 PPM. Grand Rapids, located in the lower peninsula has hard water according to USGS standards at 380 PPM.
For more information on water hardness in specific cities, please see table below.
|
Allen Park Michigan 48101 |
98 PPM (mg/L) or 6 gpg |
|
Allendale Michigan 49401 |
162 PPM (mg/L) or 9 gpg |
|
Ann Arbor 48103 | 48104 | 48105 | 48108 | 48109 |
129 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
|
Auburn Hills Michigan 48326 |
306 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Bay City Michigan 48706 | 48708 |
198 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg |
|
Battle Creek 49014 | 49015 | 49017 | 49037 |
152 PPM (mg/L) or 9 gpg |
|
Belleville Michigan 48111 |
186 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg |
|
Big Rapids 49307 |
239 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg |
|
Birmingham Michigan 48009 |
418 PPM (mg/L) or 24 gpg |
|
Bloomfield Hills 48304 | 48302 | 48301 |
322 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Brighton 48116 | 48114 |
326 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Byron Center 49315 |
225 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
|
Cadillac 49601 |
278 PPM (mg/L) or 16 gpg |
|
Caledonia 49316 |
311 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Canton 48187 | 48188 |
325 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Cedar Springs 49319 |
214 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
|
Charlotte Michigan 48813 |
222 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
|
Clarkston 48348 | 48346 |
355 PPM (mg/L) or 21 gpg |
|
Clinton 48038 | 49236 |
132 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
|
Detroit 48201 | 48202 | 48204 | 48205 | 48206 | 48207 | 48208 | 48209 | 48210 | 48211 | 48213 | 48214 | 48215 | 48216 | 48217 | 48219 | 48221 | 48223 | 48224 | 48226 | 48227 | 48228 | 48233 | 48234 | 48235 |
104 PPM (mg/L) or 6 gpg |
|
Dearborn Heights 48127 | 48125 |
279 PPM (mg/L) or 16 gpg |
|
East Lansing 48823 | 48825 |
128 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg |
|
Eastpointe 48021 |
208 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg |
|
Fenton 48430 |
222 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
|
Ferndale 48220 |
236 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg |
|
Flint 48502 | 48503 | 48504 | 48505 | 48506 | 48507 | 48532 | 48551 | 48553 | 48554 |
242 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg |
|
Flushing 48433 |
344 PPM (mg/L) or 20 gpg |
|
Garden City 48135 |
310 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Gaylord 49735 |
385 PPM (mg/L) or 23 gpg |
|
Grand Haven 49417 |
143 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
|
Grand Ledge 48837 |
203 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg |
|
Grandville 49418 |
222 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
|
Grosse Pointe 48236 | 48230 |
175 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Hamtramck 48212 |
336 PPM (mg/L) or 20 gpg |
|
Harrison Township 48045 |
378 PPM (mg/L) or 22 gpg |
|
Hastings 49058 |
152 PPM (mg/L) or 9 gpg |
|
Holland Michigan 49424 | 49423 |
160 PPM (mg/L) or 9 gpg |
|
Holly 48442 |
308 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Holt 48842 |
329 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Hudsonville n 49426 |
170 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Inkster 48141 |
196 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg |
|
Ionia 48846 |
265 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Jackson Michigan 49201 | 49203 | 49202 |
245 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg |
|
Jenison 49428 |
223 PPM (mg/L) or 13 gpg |
|
Kalamazoo
49001 | 49004 | 49006 | 49007 | 49008 | 49009 | 49048
|
115 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg |
|
Lake Orion 48362 | 48360 | 48359 |
320 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Lansing 48906 | 48910 | 48911 | 48912 | 48915 | 48917 | 48933 |
99 PPM (mg/L) or 6 gpg |
|
Lapeer 48446 |
302 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Lincoln Park Michigan 48146 |
254 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Livonia 48154 | 48152 | 48150 |
268 PPM (mg/L) or 16 gpg |
|
Macomb 48044 | 48042 |
117 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg |
|
Madison Heights Michigan 48071 |
163 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Marquette 49855 |
170 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Mason Michigan 48854 |
178 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Midland Michigan 48640 | 48642 | 48667 |
302 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Monroe Michigan 48162 | 48161 |
369 PPM (mg/L) or 22 gpg |
|
Mount Morris 48458 |
348 PPM (mg/L) or 20 gpg |
|
Mt. Pleasant 48858 |
140 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
|
Muskegon 49440 | 49441 | 49442 | 49444 | 49445 |
116 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg |
|
New Baltimore Michigan 48047 | 48051 |
278 PPM (mg/L) or 16 gpg |
|
Niles 49120 |
255 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Northville 48168 | 48167 |
265 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Novi 48375 | 48377 | 48374 |
321 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Oak Park 48237 |
329 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Okemos 48864 |
265 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Owosso 48867 |
244 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg |
|
Oxford 48371 | 48370 |
265 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Pinckney 48169 |
124 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg |
|
Plymouth 48170 |
333 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Pontiac 48340 | 48341 | 48342 |
312 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Port Huron 48060 |
364 PPM (mg/L) or 21 gpg |
|
Portage Michigan 49024 | 49002 |
301 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Redford Michigan 48239 | 48240 |
385 PPM (mg/L) or 23 gpg |
|
Royal Oak Michigan 48073 | 48067 |
277 PPM (mg/L) or 16 gpg |
|
Saint Clair Shores 48080 | 48081 | 48082 |
130 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
|
Saint Joseph Michigan 49085 |
185 PPM (mg/L) or 11 gpg |
|
Saginaw |
104 PPM (mg/L) or 6 gpg |
|
Saline 48176 |
324 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
South Lyon 48178 |
125 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg |
|
Southfield Michigan 48076 | 48075 | 48033 | 48034 |
168 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Southgate Michigan 48195 |
178 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Spring Lake 49456 |
254 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Sterling Heights 48310 | 48312 | 48313 | 48314 |
138 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
|
Sturgis Michigan 49091 |
333 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Swartz Creek 48743 |
320 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Taylor 48180 |
368 PPM (mg/L) or 22 gpg |
|
Traverse City 49684 | 49686 |
164 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Trenton 48183 |
247 PPM (mg/L) or 14 gpg |
|
Troy Michigan 48085 | 48083 | 48098 | 48084 |
210 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg |
|
Utica 48317 | 48316 | 48315 |
320 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Walled Lake 48390 |
396 PPM (mg/L) or 23 gpg |
|
Warren 48088 | 48089 | 48091 | 48092 | 48093 | 48397 |
144 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg |
|
Washington Michigan 48094 | 48095 |
314 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Waterford 48328 | 48329 | 48327 |
322 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
West Bloomfield Michigan 48322 | 48324 | 48323 |
175 PPM (mg/L) or 10 gpg |
|
Westland Michigan 48185 | 48186 |
198 PPM (mg/L) or 12 gpg |
|
White Lake 48386 | 48383 |
402 PPM (mg/L) or 24 gpg |
|
Wyandotte 48192 |
256 PPM (mg/L) or 15 gpg |
|
Wyoming 49519 | 49509 |
321 PPM (mg/L) or 19 gpg |
|
Ypsilanti 48197 | 48198 |
304 PPM (mg/L) or 18 gpg |
|
Zeeland 49464 |
388 PPM (mg/L) or 23 gpg |
 |
|
mg/L = Milligrams Per LiterPPM = Parts Per Million
gpg = Grains Per Gallon
Manufacturing and Water Hardness
Manufacturing is the largest contributing industry for Michigan’s economy, accounting for 20% of the state's gross product. The Automotive industry is the state’s top manufacturing industry, with 975 auto manufacturing establishments; making Michigan the top Automotive state in the Nation. Other significant manufacturing industries in Michigan are machinery, fabricated metal products, chemicals, and food and beverage products.
Product processing in most manufacturing plants requires water. Cooling towers and HVAC are imperative to keeping operations running smoothly. Water hardness levels can be as high as 500 PPM; with water hardness levels this high, manufacturing equipment can deteriorate at a rapid pace and experience efficiency loss.
Solutions to your Water Quality Problems
Fixing your water quality issues in the state of Michigan will depend on your specific water source. It is best to test your potable water supply in order to get a better understanding of your water quality. Testing is relatively cheap. The test results will allow you to understand if your potable water has issues that need to be addressed. Common solutions to water contamination problems may include a water filtration system, a reverse osmosis system or other whole home water treatment solutions.
A problem that almost all Michigan residents will have to deal with is hard water. One old-fashioned, inefficient, expensive and unhealthy method to treat hard water is with a salt-based water softener. Most people don’t realize that if you’re using a water softener you are basically removing calcium and magnesium from your drinking water and adding salt to your diet. In addition, many states are banning the use of salt-based water softeners.
Alternative water treatment solutions such as “water conditioners” have been gaining popularity in recent years because they are cheap to operate and the best eco-friendly solution for hard water. Hydropath technology, which powers the HydroFLOW water conditioners is by far the most efficient and cost-effective eco-friendly solution to deal with hard water problems. To learn more about how HydroFLOW solves the problems created by hard water, please check out our technology page. You might want to read this blog that explains the difference between water conditioners and water softeners: Water Conditioner vs. Water Softener Blog.
