Well Water Distribution System Public Advisory: November 21, 2023
Michigan State University has two independent water distribution systems on its East Lansing campus. The Well Water Distribution System (Farms District) starts at the water wells and ends at the Water Treatment Plant and provides drinking water to most buildings in the Farms District south of main campus. The Domestic Water Distribution System (main campus) starts at the water treatment plant and distributes drinking water to most buildings on the main campus.
November 21, 2023 Well Water Distribution System (Farms District) Public Advisory (PDF)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the water that I use in the residence halls or in main campus buildings affected
by this Public Advisory? No. The university has two independent drinking water distribution systems on the East Lansing campus. Most main campus buildings and all residence halls are provided with water from the domestic water distribution system. Samples from all 30 locations in the domestic water distribution system had no Action Level exceedance.
- Should I worry about showering with water that has elevated levels of lead?
Per the EPA, bathing and showering should be safe even if the water contains lead over the current Action Levels since human skin does not absorb lead.
- What standards does MSU follow for drinking water?
The university follows standards set forth by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act and EGLE. You can find out more about campus water quality testing and reporting through our annual water quality report which can be found on the IPF Campus Water Quality page.
Importantly, these results are site-specific and MSU’s University Physician and MSU Environmental Health and Safety do not believe there is an immediate threat to drinking water on campus or Spartans’ health and safety at this time. However, everyone should be aware of possible sources of lead, how it gets into drinking water, and things you can do to reduce exposure.
- How will MSU ensure samples are properly collected in the future?
We have implemented improvements to the sample collection process so that future samples are gathered per protocol.
- How often does MSU collect drinking water samples for testing by the EGLE laboratory?
MSU collects samples for regulated and unregulated contaminant testing as required by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act and EGLE. Samples are collected daily, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually, and on other frequencies as defined by federal and state requirements.
Education Resources
Additional information can be found at MiDHHS's MI Lead Safe website or EGLE's Lead Public Advisory website. For questions about the potential health effects of lead in drinking water, you can contact Ingham County Health Department Environmental Health at (517) 887-4312.
If you are a MSU well water distribution system water customer in the Farms District and would like your to have your drinking water tested for lead, call ContactIPF at (517) 353-1760.
Important Information About Lead in Drinking Water (PDF)
AWWA: Together, Let's Get the Lead Out (YouTube)
MiDHHS Fact Sheets
Adult Exposure to Lead (English) (PDF)
Adult Exposure to Lead (Spanish) (PDF)
Adult Exposure to Lead (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
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Clean Your Aerators (Spanish) (PDF)
Clean Your Aerators (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
Pregnant and Nursing (English) (PDF)
Pregnant and Nursing (Spanish) (PDF)
Serve Up a Healthier Future (English) (PDF)
Serve Up a Healthier Future (Spanish) (PDF)