The City of Muskegon Heights is assuring residents in the area that its water is safe to drink. The news comes after the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) said it had concerns with the city’s water filtration plant.
In a letter to the community Wednesday, Muskegon Heights Mayor Walter Watt Jr. tried to put area residents concerns to rest, reporting that the city’s water is perfectly safe to drink, despite state environmental officials looking to address “issues” at the Muskegon Heights Water Filtration Plant.
However, The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy told the city these issues “represent an immediate health risk to consumers of water,” if they are not corrected, which include a critical staffing plan, operator certification plan, and preventative maintenance plan, which EGLE says, is not in place should a crisis prevent itself.
The city told residents Wednesday those plans were not in place yet, as a result of understaffing at the filtration plant, but were working on solving the problem.
Still, that does not mean the water itself is dangerous, says the city. In a press release, interim city manager Melvin C. Burns II said
"If for any reason the water were deemed unsafe, you will be notified immediately by the City of Muskegon Heights and/or the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy,"
