Pentair 1,4-Dioxane Filter

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Background on the Portage Water Supply

The public water system in Portage, Kalamazoo County, relies on groundwater to serve approximately 46,292 people through over 9,300 service connections. Groundwater is sourced from aquifers beneath the region, filtered naturally through soil and rock layers before reaching residential taps.

Federal water quality monitoring from 2013 to 2015 recorded the cyclic ether known as 1,4-dioxane in this system. Though detected in some samples, no health-based violations have been reported for this water system according to EPA records.

Sources of 1,4-Dioxane in Local Water

Landfill Leachate Contribution

• Leachate from landfills may contain trace amounts of the solvent stabiliser, which can infiltrate groundwater over time.

Industrial Degreasing Impact

• Sites employing degreasing agents that include 1,4-dioxane are potential sources contributing to dissolved concentrations in nearby aquifers.

Consumer Product Residues

• Household and personal care products that historically contained the cyclic ether can add minor amounts entering wastewater and the environment.

Movement of 1,4-Dioxane in Groundwater

Faster Migration than Parent Solvents

• The solvent stabiliser tends to travel ahead of the solvent plume it stabilizes, often dispersing further downstream in groundwater systems.

Implications for Water Quality Downgradient

• Areas positioned beyond initial sources may detect low-level 1,4-dioxane presence, highlighting the need for localized sampling to understand impact.

Sampling Factors Affecting 1,4-Dioxane Presence

Influence of Sampling Depth

• Sample depth varies across monitoring wells, affecting measurement of dioxane concentrations depending on groundwater strata.

Well Depth and Source Type Variability

• Deeper wells or different source types may yield differing levels of the cyclic ether, requiring site-specific water quality evaluation.

Technical Details of Detection Measurements

Precision in Reporting

• Detected values are reported to three decimal places in micrograms per liter (µg/L), enhancing clarity in low-concentration measurement.

Understanding Measurement Significance

• The reported presence of dioxane is a detection, not an indication of exceedance or unsafe conditions under federal guidelines.

Role of Plumbing Materials and System Age

Separate from Source Water

• Materials and age of household plumbing do not influence 1,4-dioxane levels, which originate from source water quality.

Considerations for Household Water Quality

• Testing of household taps remains essential to confirm individual water parameters beyond system-wide data.

Concluding Notes on Local 1,4-Dioxane Data

Data from the Portage system reflect regional groundwater conditions and federal occurrence monitoring, not specific home water quality. No health-based violations have been documented, and detections fall below the EPA cancer risk reference concentration.

For residents weighing treatment options, the Pentair 1,4-Dioxane Filter offers a documented technology engineered to address the solvent stabiliser in home water. This product ships ready for configuration, supporting household efforts to manage 1,4-dioxane below detectable or desired levels.

Where this information comes from

Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2013-10-10. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.

On record: EPA UCMR3 monitoring (2013-2015) for Portage (MI0005520), MI: 22 results across 1 listed contaminants, 3 detections above the reporting level; no federal MCL; EPA cancer risk reference concentration 0.35 ug/L