Charlevoix Municipal Well

Overview

The Charlevoix Municipal Well site sits in Charlevoix, Michigan, where industrial and commercial operations contaminated local groundwater with two volatile organic compounds: tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). The contamination affected the city's public water supply and led to the site being added to the Superfund National Priorities List in September 1983. Both chemicals have been found in soil, soil gas, and groundwater across the site.

EPA responded early by building a new water intake system drawing from Lake Michigan in 1985, cutting off the contaminated groundwater as a drinking water source. The city's water supply is not affected by the contamination today. The site was deleted from the National Priorities List in December 1993 after that initial work was finished. However, contamination sources were not fully identified at the time, and EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers reopened the investigation in 2016 to map the full extent of soil and groundwater contamination.

In April 2020, EPA issued an updated interim cleanup decision. That plan calls for soil excavation at source areas, in-place chemical treatment of groundwater using oxygen-containing compounds to break down contaminants, air sparging and soil vapor extraction to pull vapors out of the soil, and vapor mitigation systems inside buildings to prevent indoor air exposure. Four buildings are being demolished to allow safe excavation. Deed restrictions are in place to prevent groundwater use and limit contact with contaminated soil. Demolition at two addresses was completed by July 2025, with excavation and underground storage tank removal at additional properties beginning in late summer 2025. Remedial design and active remediation for groundwater and soil work are expected to run through late 2027 and into 2028.

The most recent five-year review, completed in August 2021, found that the alternate water supply protects people from ingesting contaminants. Even so, human exposure is not yet considered under control, meaning unsafe contamination levels remain and people could reasonably be exposed. Vapor intrusion risks are still being evaluated. Groundwater migration is stabilized and will not unacceptably discharge to surface water, but the site has not yet met all cleanup goals and is not ready for its anticipated future use.

Residents near active work areas may notice construction crews, heavy machinery, noise, and ground vibrations. Crews are monitoring air quality and using dust suppression measures. Some local streets will close temporarily during excavation work. Community members with questions can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.