Burger/Goodwood PFAS Water Extension Project

Kent County Road Commission completed some road resurfacing within the Burger/Goodwood Neighborhood in the fall of 2025: Oak Terrace Ct, Ridgemont Ct, Sandy Lane Ct, Sandy Lane Dr, Tricklewood Dr, and Woodbrook Dr.  The remaining roads in the project area are scheduled for resurfacing in 2026.

Phase One of the project ended in 2023 with work under the contractor warranty period ending in 2024.  The scope of active construction is contractually restricted to the remaining Phase Two areas of the project.  Phase Two lawn restoration will continue into the spring of 2026, as needed.  If you have further questions or concerns regarding restoration, email goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

The project contractor has asked property owners to assist in the success of these efforts to help support healthy grass establishment in the following ways:

• Irrigation: Newly seeded areas benefit from consistent, light watering. Begin watering one day after application. We recommend watering 3 times per day. The goal is to keep the surface of the newly seeded areas consistently moist (but not soaked) especially during dry periods.
• Mowing: Avoid mowing until the new grass reaches a height of 3–4 inches. When you mow, set your mower blades high.
• Traffic: Try to minimize foot traffic across newly seeded areas to help prevent damage to emerging grass. Block children, pets, and other pedestrian traffic, if possible, to avoid disruption of the hydro seeded mulch or germinating seeds. You should minimize traffic after application for 5 to 6 weeks to allow your lawn to mature.
• Weed Control: DO NOT use weed control products on new grass. These chemicals can destroy fledgling grass. If you notice weeds growing in your hydro seeded lawn, do not be concerned. Over time, the new grass will become denser, and most weeds will be choked out by advancing grassroots. After the new grass is fully established, you can use weed control.
• Patience: Grass establishment can take time, especially during hot, dry months, but with consistent care, results will follow.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work toward completing this restoration.

Residents who have not yet obtained a quote for their water service connection are no longer eligible to schedule watermain connections through the Burger/Goodwood PFAS Remediation Project.  All eligible residents received letters stating that they must schedule with McDonald Plumbing before the end of 2025 to be funded by the project; that deadline has passed. 

McDonald Plumbing Contact info:
Grace Thumser – (616) 698-6771

As a reminder, the work McDonald Plumbing will be providing will be paid for by the project, not residents. The only fee homeowners would be responsible for is the difference in price if they choose copper for the private portion of the water service, rather than the plastic version that is covered by the project, and any costs associated with retaining their well for irrigation, if they choose to do so.

Property owners should be aware that many irrigation systems were likely damaged and had lines/zones removed or severed during watermain installation.  As part of the contract, project staff will be coordinating with an irrigation company to repair these systems at no cost to the property owner.

If you have any concerns regarding the project, please reach out to the project email account at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

At the beginning of the Burger/Goodwood PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the Township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the Township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 6-13-2018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water: 
(1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well.  In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project.

All watermain installation work was complete by November 1, 2025 and now all that is left is for McDonald Plumbing to connect the few remaining properties from the curb to their house and completion of any necessary remediation.

Road Resurfacing
Kent County Road Commission completed some road resurfacing within the Burger/Goodwood Neighborhood in the fall of 2025: Oak Terrace Ct, Ridgemont Ct, Sandy Lane Ct, Sandy Lane Dr, Tricklewood Dr, and Woodbrook Dr.  The remaining roads in the project area are scheduled for resurfacing in 2026.

Lawn Restoration
Phase One of the project ended in 2023 with work under the contractor warranty period ending in 2024.  The scope of active construction is contractually restricted to the remaining Phase Two areas of the project.  Phase Two lawn restoration will continue into the spring of 2026, as needed.  If you have further questions or concerns regarding restoration, email goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

The project contractor has asked property owners to assist in the success of these efforts to help support healthy grass establishment in the following ways:

• Irrigation: Newly seeded areas benefit from consistent, light watering. Begin watering one day after application. We recommend watering 3 times per day. The goal is to keep the surface of the newly seeded areas consistently moist (but not soaked) especially during dry periods.
• Mowing: Avoid mowing until the new grass reaches a height of 3–4 inches. When you mow, set your mower blades high.
• Traffic: Try to minimize foot traffic across newly seeded areas to help prevent damage to emerging grass. Block children, pets, and other pedestrian traffic, if possible, to avoid disruption of the hydro seeded mulch or germinating seeds. You should minimize traffic after application for 5 to 6 weeks to allow your lawn to mature.
• Weed Control: DO NOT use weed control products on new grass. These chemicals can destroy fledgling grass. If you notice weeds growing in your hydro seeded lawn, do not be concerned. Over time, the new grass will become denser, and most weeds will be choked out by advancing grassroots. After the new grass is fully established, you can use weed control.
• Patience: Grass establishment can take time, especially during hot, dry months, but with consistent care, results will follow.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work toward completing this restoration.

Watermain Connections
Residents who have not yet obtained a quote for their water service connection are no longer eligible to schedule watermain connections through the Burger/Goodwood PFAS Remediation Project.  All eligible residents received letters stating that they must schedule with McDonald Plumbing before the end of 2025 to be funded by the project; that deadline has passed. 

McDonald Plumbing Contact info:
Grace Thumser – (616) 698-6771

As a reminder, the work McDonald Plumbing will be providing will be paid for by the project, not residents. The only fee homeowners would be responsible for is the difference in price if they choose copper for the private portion of the water service, rather than the plastic version that is covered by the project, and any costs associated with retaining their well for irrigation, if they choose to do so.

Property owners should be aware that many irrigation systems were likely damaged and had lines/zones removed or severed during watermain installation.  As part of the contract, project staff will be coordinating with an irrigation company to repair these systems at no cost to the property owner.

If you have any concerns regarding the project, please reach out to the project email account at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Groundwater Restrictions
At the beginning of the Burger/Goodwood PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the Township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the Township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 6-13-2018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water: 
(1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well.  In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project.

The installation of 122 services has been completed with 6 additional scheduled.  Services continue to be installed on Sandy Lane Dr, Sandy Lane Ct, Aqua Fria Ct, Forest Valley Dr, Forest Valley Ct, Oak Creek Ct, White Oak Ct, and Oakmont Dr.  Work is still progressing on time and will be done by November 1, 2025, the Phase Two contractual completion date. In the last days of July, there will be traffic shifts along Thornapple River Dr to accommodate watermain installation, but two-way access will be maintained.

Road Resurfacing 
After all 2025 planned roadwork in Cascade Township was scheduled, Kent County Road Commission had availability and allowed the Township to get a jump on road resurfacing in the Burger/Goodwood Neighborhood that was initially planned for 2026.  The following roads have been added on as 2025 fall resurfacing projects:

• Oak Terrace Ct (Woodbrook Dr to the end)
• Ridgemont Ct (Woodbrook Dr to the end)
• Sandy Lane Ct (Sandy Lane Dr to the end)
• Sandy Lane Dr (Woodbrook Dr to the end)
• Tricklewood Dr (Woodbrook Dr to Tricklewood Ct)
• Woodbrook Dr (Burger Dr to the end) 

Lawn Restoration
We recently began hearing additional concerns about the presence of weeds and that residents are having a difficult time establishing new grass throughout the Township.  This is in part due to the heat of summer, but the contractor is committed to ensuring the required turf growth is achieved on properties still undergoing construction and restoration.  This may include re-seeding certain areas and applying weed treatments as necessary.  Phase One of the project ended in 2023 with work under the contractor warranty period ending in 2024.  The scope of active construction is contractually restricted to the remaining Phase 2 areas of the project.  If you have further questions or concerns regarding Phase 1 restoration, email goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

The project contractor has asked property owners to assist in the success of these efforts to help support healthy grass establishment in the following ways:

• Irrigation: Newly seeded areas benefit from consistent, light watering. Begin watering one day after application. We recommend watering 3 times per day. The goal is to keep the surface of the newly seeded areas consistently moist (but not soaked) especially during dry periods.
• Mowing: Avoid mowing until the new grass reaches a height of 3–4 inches. When you mow, set your mower blades high.
• Traffic: Try to minimize foot traffic across newly seeded areas to help prevent damage to emerging grass. Block children, pets, and other pedestrian traffic, if possible, to avoid disruption of the hydro seeded mulch or germinating seeds. You should minimize traffic after application for 5 to 6weeks to allow your lawn to mature.
• Weed Control: DO NOT use weed control products on new grass. These chemicals can destroy fledgling grass. If you notice weeds growing in your hydro seeded lawn, do not be concerned. Over time, the new grass will become denser, and most weeds will be choked out by advancing grassroots. After the new grass is fully established, you can use weed control.
• Patience: Grass establishment can take time, especially during hot, dry months, but with consistent care, results will follow. 

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work toward completing this restoration.

Residents who have not yet obtained a quote for their water service connection are encouraged to contact McDonald Plumbing for a property-specific quote. Please note that once excavation begins, it may take up to a month before the work is completed and irrigation systems are restored.

McDonald Plumbing Contact info: 
Grace Thumser – (616) 698-6771

As a reminder, the work McDonald Plumbing will be providing will be paid for by the project, not residents. The only fee homeowners would be responsible for is the difference in price if they choose copper for the private portion of the water service, rather than the plastic version that is covered by the project, and any costs associated with retaining their well for irrigation, if they choose to do so.

If residents are concerned with meter and/or service sizing for their home, we recommend they discuss their concerns with McDonald Plumbing when they receive a quote for the property.  Residents can also contact Lawrence Olson with the City of Grand Rapids (lolson@grand-rapids.mi.us) as he can also assist with proper sizing.

Property owners should be aware that many irrigation systems will likely be damaged and have lines/zones removed or severed.  As part of the contract, CL Trucking and Excavating will be coordinating with an irrigation company to repair these systems at no cost to the property owner.

If you have any concerns regarding the project, please reach out to the project email account at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Other Phase Two Information
Unlike the grants that funded Phase I, the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) obtained for Phase II do not allow multiple plumbing contractors to complete the connections from the road to the residences.  McDonald Plumbing was the low bidder for these private side connections and was awarded the contract for all Phase II services.

The Kent County Road Commission enforces standard construction specifications for soil erosion and sedimentation control on all projects within its jurisdiction. Many residents have asked about the black and orange fabric bags placed in some catch basins within the project area. These bags are required by the road commission to prevent dirt and construction debris from entering the storm system, which could restrict sewer capacity during wet weather.

Contractors are responsible for maintaining and emptying these bags as needed. However, they cannot be removed until the road commission determines that grass growth has been sufficiently reestablished to prevent further construction debris from entering the system.

Please continue directing questions on Phase Two of the project to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Phase Two Tree Removal
The Township recent sent letters to residences who had one or more trees removed as part of Phase 2 in order to initiate tree restoration. The Township will work with any eligible residences who respond and develop a plan for restoration.  

Whole Home Water Filtration System Removal
Residences that had a whole home water filtration system installed due to PFAS contamination have the opportunity to keep the filtration system and take on full responsibility for system maintenance and disposal. Since there is generally a high cost to remove and dispose of the filtration systems, we are requiring all residences who want to keep their whole home filtration system to sign a filter agreement, transferring the title of the filtration system to the homeowner.  There will not be an additional cost to the resident from the Township to keep the whole home filtration system.  If this is something you are interested in, please email goodwoodwater@gmail.com for a copy of the form and further information.  

Groundwater Restrictions
At the beginning of the Goodwood/Berger PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 613-2018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water:  

(1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well. In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project. 

The above map highlights areas of construction in the Burger-Goodwood neighborhood in 2025. The streets in blue indicate watermain installation where properties will be able to connect to city water. The streets in green indicate previously installed watermain that will now be undergoing road resurfacing. The key difference is in project administration and restoration. On the streets where watermain is being laid, restoration will be performed identically as it has been to date. The road resurfacing however is not part of the same contractor work or funding mechanism as the PFAS remediation project. Road resurfacing is a Kent County Road Commission (KCRC) project performed in conjunction with the Township. Residents living on sections of road being resurfaced will receive a letter with details from KCRC. Remaining streets in the neighborhood will be resurfaced in 2026. Streets were divided by construction year given the overall volume of work and in an effort to avoid excessive construction traffic on new road surfaces.

Phase Two Progress
Phase II of the Burger/Goodwood PFAS Remediation Water Project began mid-April of 2025 and crews have been installing new watermain on Maplecrest Dr, Maplecrest Ct, Aqua Fria Ct, Sandy Lane Dr and on Sandy Lane Ct . May will likely bring watermain installation on Forest Valley Dr, Forest Valley Ct, Oak Creek Ct, and White Oak Ct with Burger Dr and Thornapple River Dr South in June and Thornapple River Dr North in July. Storm sewer will be installed on Thornapple River Dr north in August as well as all other uncompleted tie-ins, services, and restoration. Water service taps will be completed for each segment, on a rolling basis, after the main has been pressure tested and chlorinated. Crews will also be addressing restorative efforts in completed areas within the 2024 work locations where grass growth has not been established or restoration concerns remain.

Residents who have not yet obtained a quote for their water service connection are encouraged to contact McDonald Plumbing for a property-specific quote. Please note that once excavation begins, it may take up to a month before the work is completed and irrigation systems are restored.

McDonald Plumbing Contact info:
Grace Thumser – (616) 698-6771

As a reminder, the work McDonald Plumbing will be providing will be paid for by the project, not residents. The only fee homeowners would be responsible for is the difference in price if they choose copper for the private portion of the water service, rather than the plastic version that is covered by the project, and any costs associated with retaining their well for irrigation, if they choose to do so.

If residents are concerned with meter and/or service sizing for their home, we recommend they discuss their concerns with McDonald Plumbing when they receive a quote for the property. Residents can also contact Lawrence Olson with the City of Grand Rapids (lolson@grand-rapids.mi.us) as he can also assist with proper sizing. 

Property owners should be aware that many irrigation systems will likely be damaged and have lines/zones removed or severed. As part of the contract, CL Trucking and Excavating will be coordinating with an irrigation company to repair these systems at no cost to the property owner.

If you have any concerns regarding the project, please reach out to the project email account at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Other Phase Two Information
Unlike the grants that funded Phase I, the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) obtained for Phase II do not allow multiple plumbing contractors to complete the connections from the road to the residences.  McDonald Plumbing was the low bidder for these private side connections and was awarded the contract for all Phase II services.

The Kent County Road Commission enforces standard construction specifications for soil erosion and sedimentation control on all projects within its jurisdiction. Many residents have asked about the black and orange fabric bags placed in some catch basins within the project area. These bags are required by the road commission to prevent dirt and construction debris from entering the storm system, which could restrict sewer capacity during wet weather.

Contractors are responsible for maintaining and emptying these bags as needed. However, they cannot be removed until the road commission determines that grass growth has been sufficiently reestablished to prevent further construction debris from entering the system.

Please continue directing questions on Phase Two of the project to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Phase Two Tree Removal
The Township recent sent letters to residences who had one or more trees removed as part of Phase 2 in order to initiate tree restoration. The Township will work with any eligible residences who respond and develop a plan for restoration.  

Whole Home Water Filtration System Removal
Residences that had a whole home water filtration system installed due to PFAS contamination have the opportunity to keep the filtration system and take on full responsibility for system maintenance and disposal. Since there is generally a high cost to remove and dispose of the filtration systems, we are requiring all residences who want to keep their whole home filtration system to sign a filter agreement, transferring the title of the filtration system to the homeowner.  There will not be an additional cost to the resident from the Township to keep the whole home filtration system.  If this is something you are interested in, please email goodwoodwater@gmail.com for a copy of the form and further information.  

Groundwater Restrictions
At the beginning of the Goodwood/Berger PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township. Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport. Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated. Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 613-2018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water:  (1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well. In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project. 

Phase Two
CL Trucking & Excavating began work on Phase II of the Burger/Goodwood PFAS Remediation Water Project on August 19th, 2024 has been progressing expeditiously.  Due to their rapid progress this fall, they intend to begin work on Oak Tree Dr and Forest Valley Dr (from Oak Tree Dr to the valve on the east side of Forest Valley Court) yet this year.  The other streets in Phase II will begin after the winter pause, in Spring of 2025.

Residents on Brookhills Ct, Winterberry Ct, Misty Lane Ct, Ridgemont Ct, Tricklewood Dr, and Woodbrook Dr who have yet to schedule a quote for connection reach out to McDonald Plumbing as soon as possible, as those homes may be ready for connection yet this year.  As all remaining residences will be completed in 2025, homeowners on all other streets should wait until early spring of 2025 to call McDonald Plumbing for a quote.  We will update residents when it is time for additional streets to request quotes.

McDonald Plumbing Contact info:
Grace Thumser – (616) 698-6771

As a reminder, the work McDonald Plumbing will be providing will be paid for by the project, not residents. The only fee homeowners would be responsible for is the difference in price if they choose copper for the private portion of the water service, rather than the plastic version that is covered by the project, and any costs associated with retaining their well for irrigation, if they choose to do so.

If residents are concerned with meter and/or service sizing for their home, we recommend they discuss their concerns with McDonald Plumbing when they receive a quote for the property.  Residents can also contact Lawrence Olson with the City of Grand Rapids (lolson@grand-rapids.mi.us) as he can also assist with proper sizing. 

Irrigation Repairs – Property owners should be aware that many irrigation systems will likely be damaged and have lines/zones removed or severed.  As part of the contract, CL Trucking and Excavating will be coordinating with an irrigation company to repair these systems at no cost to the property owner.  Residents are encouraged to work with their landscape/irrigation companies to winterize their irrigation systems as they usually do.  When repairs are made to systems as part of the water main contract, the contractor will test the systems and re-winterize them.

If you have any concerns regarding the project, please reach out to the project email account at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Other Phase Two Information
The other streets will begin after the winter pause, in spring 2025. The contractual completion date for Phase Two water main extension is November 1, 2025.

Unlike the grants that funded Phase I, the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) obtained for Phase II do not allow multiple plumbing contractors to complete the connections from the road to the residences.  McDonald Plumbing was the low bidder for these private side connections and was awarded the contract for all Phase II services.

Cascade Township will communicate the project schedule to residents as it becomes available from the contractor. Residents will have at least through spring 2026 to complete their connection.  Please continue directing questions on Phase Two of the project to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Phase Two Tree Removal
Due to the nature of the project’s funding, no tree removal is permitted between April and October, to preserve bat roosting habitats.  In order to complete installation in 2025, the Township sent leters to residences who would have one or more trees removed in winter 2024 (or earlier).  This only took place in a small portion of Phase Two’s scope, with additional tree removal occurring in 2024 and potentially 2025.  

Phase One Whole Home Water Filtration System Removal
Now that water main installation is complete for Phase One, water filtration systems are no longer needed in homes that have connected to city water.  The Township is going through the lists of homes that are receiving botled water and water filtration services and compare it with addresses that have connected to city water.  Residences that had a whole home water filtration system installed due to PFAS contamination have the opportunity to keep the filtration system and take on full responsibility for system maintenance and disposal. Since there is generally a high cost to remove and dispose of the filtration systems, we are requiring all residences who want to keep their whole home filtration system to sign a filter agreement, transferring the title of the filtration system to the homeowner.  There will not be an additional cost to the resident from the township to keep the whole home filtration system.  If this is something you are interested in, please email goodwoodwater@gmail.com for a copy of the form and further information.  

Groundwater Restrictions
At the beginning of the Goodwood/Berger PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 6-132018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water:  (1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well.  In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project. 

Phase Two
CL Trucking & Excavating began work on Phase II of the Burger/Goodwood PFAS Remediation Water Project on August 19th.  Crews began placing watermain on Brookhills Ct between Thornapple River Dr and Tricklewood Dr.  Crews have successfully placed new watermain on Brookpoint Dr between Tanglewood Dr and Brookhills Ct and on Misty Lane Ct.  Watermain on Winterberry Ct should have installation completed by the end of this week.    

After the watermain has been placed, the contractor, in coordination with the City of Grand Rapids, will pressure test and chlorinate the new main in preparation for beginning water service.  Once the new main has passed all required testing, tie-ins for new services will be placed.

Due to CL Trucking & Excavating’s progress so far, they intend to begin work on Ridgemont Ct, Tricklewood Dr, and Woodbrook Dr yet this year.  The other streets in Phase II will begin after the winter pause, in Spring of 2025.

Residents on Brookhills Ct, Winterberry Ct, and Misty Lane Ct who have yet to schedule a quote for connection and residents on Ridgemont Ct, Tricklewood Dr, and Woodbrook Dr are encouraged to reach out to McDonald Plumbing as soon as possible, as those homes may be ready for connection yet this year.  As all remaining residences will be completed in 2025, homeowners on all other streets should wait until early spring of 2025 to call McDonald Plumbing for a quote.  We will update residents when it is time for additional streets to request quotes.

McDonald Plumbing Contact info:
Grace Thumser – (616) 698-6771

As a reminder, the work McDonald Plumbing will be providing will be paid for by the project, not residents. The only fee homeowners would be responsible for is the difference in price if they choose copper for the private portion of the water service, rather than the plastic version that is covered by the project, and any costs associated with retaining their well for irrigation, if they choose to do so.

If residents are concerned with meter and/or service sizing for their home, we recommend they discuss their concerns with McDonald Plumbing when they receive a quote for the property.  Residents can also contact Lawrence Olson with the City of Grand Rapids (lolson@grand-rapids.mi.us) as he can also assist with proper sizing. 

Irrigation Repairs – Property owners should be aware that many irrigation systems will likely be damaged and have lines/zones removed or severed.  As part of the contract, CL Trucking and Excavating will be coordinating with an irrigation company to repair these systems at no cost to the property owner.  Residents are encouraged to work with their landscape/irrigation companies to winterize their irrigation systems as they usually do.  When repairs are made to systems as part of the water main contract, the contractor will test the systems and re-winterize them.

If you have any concerns regarding the project, please reach out to the project email account at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Other Phase Two Information
The other streets will begin after the winter pause, in spring 2025. The contractual completion date for Phase Two water main extension is November 1, 2025.

Unlike the grants that funded Phase I, the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) obtained for Phase II do not allow multiple plumbing contractors to complete the connections from the road to the residences.  McDonald Plumbing was the low bidder for these private side connections and was awarded the contract for all Phase II services.

Cascade Township will communicate the project schedule to residents as it becomes available from the contractor. Residents will have at least through spring 2026 to complete their connection.  Please continue directing questions on Phase Two of the project to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Phase Two Tree Removal
Due to the nature of the project’s funding, no tree removal is permited between April and October, to preserve bat roosting habitats.  In order to begin installation in 2024, the Township sent leters to residences who would have one or more trees removed in winter 2023.  This only took place in a small portion of Phase Two’s scope, with additional tree removal occurring in 2024 and potentially 2025.  

Phase One Whole Home Water Filtration System Removal 
Now that water main installation is complete for Phase One, water filtration systems are no longer needed in homes that have connected to city water.  The Township is going through the lists of homes that are receiving botled water and water filtration services and compare it with addresses that have connected to city water.  Residences that had a whole home water filtration system installed due to PFAS contamination have the opportunity to keep the filtration system and take on full responsibility for system maintenance and disposal. Since there is generally a high cost to remove and dispose of the filtration systems, we are requiring all residences who want to keep their whole home filtration system to sign a filter agreement, transferring the title of the filtration system to the homeowner.  There will not be an additional cost to the resident from the township to keep the whole home filtration system.  If this is something you are interested in, please email goodwoodwater@gmail.com for a copy of the form and further information.  

Groundwater Restrictions 
At the beginning of the Goodwood/Berger PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 6-13-2018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water:  (1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well.  In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project. 

Phase Two
The construction contract for Phase Two of the water main extension project has been awarded.  The City of Grand Rapids has officially selected CL Trucking and Excavating, LLC.  Unfortunately, due to a delay in securing project funding, the City of Grand Rapids was unable to award the contract in sufficient time to guarantee completion in the 2024 calendar year as originally publicized. The contractor has indicated they intend to begin work on Phase II the week of August 19, 2024.  They will begin work on Brookhills Ct, Brookpoint Dr, Winterberry Ct, and Misty Ct. It is possible homes along these streets will be ready to connect to the water main in 2024.  The other streets will begin after the winter pause, in spring 2025. The contractual completion date for Phase Two water main extension is November 1, 2025.

Unlike the grants that funded Phase I, the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) obtained for Phase II do not allow multiple plumbing contractors to complete the connections from the road to the residences.  McDonald Plumbing was the low bidder for these private side connections and was awarded the contract for all Phase II services.

The quotes for the work that McDonald Plumbing will be providing will be paid for by the project, not the homeowner. The only fees homeowners will be responsible for are the difference in price if they elect to proceed with copper, instead of the default plastic, for the private portion of the water service and any costs related to retaining their well for irrigation.

On August 12, 2024, residents on Brookhills Ct, Brookpoint Dr, Winterberry Ct and Misty Ct can begin reaching out to McDonald Plumbing to get a quote specific to their property. We respectfully ask that homeowners on those four streets prioritize requesting quotes as soon as possible (on or after August 12, 2024) as those home may be ready to connect to the water main yet this year.  As all the remaining work will be completed in 2025, remaining homeowners should wait until fall/winter of 2024 or early spring of 2025.

McDonald Plumbing Contact info:
Grace Thumser – (616) 698-6771

If a resident has a concern with meter and or service sizing for their home, they should discuss it with McDonald Plumbing when they are providing a quote for the property.  Residents can also with contact Lawrence Olson with the City of Grand Rapids (lolson@grand-rapids.mi.us) and he can assist with proper sizing as well.

Cascade Township will communicate the project schedule to residents as it becomes available from the contractor. Residents will have at least through spring 2026 to complete their connection.  Please continue directing questions on Phase Two of the project to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Phase Two Tree Removal
Due to the nature of the project’s funding, no tree removal is permitted between April and October, to preserve bat roosting habitats.  In order to begin installation in 2024, the Township sent letters to residences who would have one or more trees removed in winter 2023.  This only took place in a small portion of Phase Two’s scope, with additional tree removal occurring in 2024 and potentially 2025.  

Phase One Complete
All residences in Phase One of the project received a letter from the Township, in May, detailing the close out of Phase One on June 30, 2024.  Almost all houses in Phase One connected to municipal water but quite a few residences did not have their wells capped. We realize that some residents do not want to cap their wells so they can continue to use them for irrigation.  Phase One residences had until June 30, 2024 to schedule a connection to municipal water and/or a well capping and report it to Cascade Township for reimbursement.  

If a resident chose to keep their well for irrigation and connected the rest of their property to city water, they are responsible for all costs for any modification necessary to continue using the well for irrigation.  Whether the residence was not connected to city water at all or the well was kept solely for irrigation purposes, costs will not be reimbursed if the well needs to be abandoned anytime after the June 30, 2024 deadline.

This is due to the expiration of grants and funding that was allocated to Phase One of the project.  Phase Two has been funded through different grants and funding sources, so Phase One residences that do not schedule their connection by June 30, 2024 will not be able to tag onto Phase Two due to the specificity of the funding requirements.

Phase One Whole Home Water Filtration System Removal
Now that water main installation is complete for Phase One, water filtration systems are no longer needed in homes that have connected to city water.  The Township is going through the lists of homes that are receiving botled water and water filtration services and compare it with addresses that have connected to city water.  Residences that had a whole home water filtration system installed due to PFAS contamination have the opportunity to keep the filtration system and take on full responsibility for system maintenance and disposal. Since there is generally a high cost to remove and dispose of the filtration systems, we are requiring all residences who want to keep their whole home filtration system to sign a filter agreement, transferring the title of the filtration system to the homeowner.  There will not be an additional cost to the resident from the township to keep the whole home filtration system.  If this is something you are interested in, please email goodwoodwater@gmail.com for a copy of the form and further information.  

Groundwater Restrictions
At the beginning of the Goodwood/Berger PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 6-13-2018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water:  (1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 ft at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well.  In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project. 

View the letter sent to all Phase One residents, or read its text below, explaining that Phase One of the project would be ending and what they would need to do if they still wanted to connect to municipal water as part of the project.

Dear Cascade Resident,

As Phase Two of the Burger/Goodwood Water Extension project begins, Phase One draws to a close.  Almost all houses in Phase One have connected to municipal water but there are quite a few residences who have not had their wells capped. We realize that some residents do not want to cap their wells so they can continue using them for irrigation.  At the beginning of the project, we told residents we would send out a letter to make them aware when it was the ‘last chance’ to have their well capped and/or connect to municipal water; that day will be June 30, 2024.  Any residences that were part of Phase One have until June 30, 2024 to schedule a connection to municipal water and/or a well capping and report it to Cascade Township if they wish to receive reimbursement.  

If a resident has already connected to municipal water and their well was not capped at that time, but now they wish to cap their well, the contractor will be reimbursed for the cost associated with the capping but the resident will have to pay any portion of the bill related to modification necessary to disconnect their irrigation system from the well that normally would have been removed when connecting to city water.    If a resident chose to keep their well for irrigation and connected the rest of their property to city water, they are responsible for all costs for any modification necessary to continue using the well for irrigation and these costs will not be reimbursed if the well needs to be abandoned in the future.

The reason June 30, 2024 is the ‘last chance’ is due to the expiration of grants and funding that was allocated to Phase One of the project.  Phase Two has been funded through different grants and funding sources, so Phase One residences that do not schedule their connection by June 30, 2024 will not be able to tag onto Phase Two due to the specificity of the funding requirements.

Groundwater Restrictions
At the beginning of the Burger/Goodwood PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state or federal government were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but there is not guarantee that financial assistance would be available at that time; the financial burden would likely fall on the property owner.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available:

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 6-13-2018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water:  

(1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well.  In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and the financial burden of connection to city water on the property would fall to the property owner.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project.

Phase One Whole Home Water Filtration System Removal
Residences that had a whole home water filtration system installed due to PFAS contamination have the opportunity to keep the filtration system and take on full responsibility for system maintenance and disposal. Since there is generally a high cost to remove and dispose of the filtration systems, we are requiring all residences who want to keep their whole home filtration system to sign a filter agreement, transferring the title of the filtration system to the homeowner.  There will not be an additional cost to the resident from the township to keep the whole home filtration system.  If this is something you are interested in, please email goodwoodwater@gmail.com for a copy of the form and further information.  

Remediation
If you have questions regarding remediation on your property, please contact goodwoodwater@gmail.com.  An informational meeting was recently held for Phase One residents who had trees removed as part of the project to answer questions and discuss tree options.  The Township is currently collecting bids for tree replacement and intends to plant trees for Phase One fall 2024 with trees for Phase Two planted in fall 2025 and spring 2026.  Once Phase Two is complete, area roads that were damaged by either phase of the water main installation will be repaired.  Half of these roads will likely be resurfaced in 2025 with the other half completed in 2026.

Phase Two
The construction contract for Phase Two of the water main extension project has been awarded. Unfortunately, due to a delay in securing project funding, the City of Grand Rapids was unable to award the contract in sufficient time to guarantee completion in the 2024 calendar year as originally publicized. Cascade Township is working closely with the City and its consultant engineer, Prein & Newhof, to encourage and coordinate with the contractor to begin construction as soon as possible.  This could be as early as fall 2024, but with most of the construction completed in 2025.  The contractual completion date for Phase Two water main extension is November 1, 2025.  The Bi-weekly PFAS Update emails will resume when Phase Two construction begins but will likely solely focus on Phase Two.

Please reach out to the township or our project contractors at goodwoodwater@gmail.com if you have further questions related to the Burger/Goodwood Water Extension project.  We look forward to completion of Phase One so we can turn our focus to Phase Two residences.

Sincerely,

Jade Smith

Phase One Tree Restoration
Funding for tree replacement was not included in the remediation portion of the contract between the City of Grand Rapids and project contractors, unbeknownst to Cascade Township. Staff have worked hard to secure additional funding for tree replacement and, in November, sent a letter to all homeowners who had one or more trees removed as part of Phase 1.  This letter asked recipients to email goodwoodwater@gmail.com with a subject line of ‘Burger Goodwood Trees’, call the Township office at (616) 949-1500, or drop off a note at the office (5920 Tahoe Dr. SE) titled ‘Burger Goodwood Trees’ stating their name, address, the number of trees they are interested in having replanted in their yard (up to double the number removed), as well as their email address and/or phone number so that we can contact them with any questions.

Phase One Whole Home Water Filtration System Removal
Now that water main installation is complete for Phase One, water filtration systems are no longer needed in homes that have connected to city water.  The Township will soon be going through the lists of homes that are receiving bottled water and water filtration services and compare it with addresses that have connected to city water.  Residences that had a whole home water filtration system installed due to PFAS contamination will have the opportunity to keep the filtration system and take on full responsibility for system maintenance and disposal. Since there is generally a high cost to remove and dispose of the filtration systems, we are requiring all residences who want to keep their whole home filtration system to sign a filter agreement, transferring the title of the filtration system to the homeowner.  There will not be an additional cost to the resident from the township to keep the whole home filtration system.  If this is something you are interested in, please email goodwoodwater@gmail.com for a copy of the form and further information.  

Phase Two
Some funding for Phase Two has now been distributed to the City of Grand Rapids, so the project will now go to bid and preparations can begin. Be on the lookout for more information, both through the email list and on this page. Please continue directing questions on Phase Two of the project to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Phase Two Tree Removal
Due to the nature of the project’s funding, no tree removal is permitted between April and October, to preserve bat roosting habitats.  In order to begin installation in 2024 as quickly as possible, the Township sent a letter to all residences who would have one or more trees removed in winter 2023.  This is only taking place in a small portion of Phase Two’s scope, with additional tree removal occurring in 2024.  Trees to be removed winter 2023 will be marked with an “X”, on the street facing side, by the project contractor. This will make it possible to begin line installation in early spring, rather than having to wait until the bad roosting season is over for the year.

Groundwater Restrictions
At the beginning of the Goodwood/Berger PFAS investigation, there was discussion that the township may adopt a Groundwater Use Ordinance, like the one adopted in Plainfield Township.  Cascade Township does not currently intend to pass any type of Groundwater Use Ordinance because, unlike Plainfield, Cascade was able to secure enough grant funding from the state and federal government to cover the project without requiring the same magnitude of funding from the party at fault which the township identifies as the Gerald R Ford International Airport.  Plainfield Township passed a Groundwater Use Ordinance as part of their agreement with Wolverine World Wide that provided for PFAS cleanup costs.

This means that Cascade Township will not be requiring residents to cap their wells or hook up to city water at this time.   If the state were to require this type of ordinance in the future, the situation would become more complicated.  Depending on the circumstances, the Township may be able to ask the GR Ford Airport to pay for well capping as part of remediation, but that depends on how many years down the line this legislation would be adopted and what it required.  

There is already a portion of Cascade Township's ordinance that addresses required city water connections at residences where it is available: 

§ 313-83. Public water connection required. [Amended 12-22-1993 by Ord. No. 18-1993; 6-132018 by Ord. No. 5-2018]

C. All existing single-family residential structures and multifamily residential structures, including such structures which are covered by an existing Special Assessment District for public water, shall be required to connect to available public water:  (1) When there is a major repair required of the private well, as determined by the Kent County Health Department.

Failure of a well would constitute a 'major repair', as determined by the health department, and would require connection to 'available public water', as defined earlier in the ordinance.  

§ 313-82. Definitions. As used in this Part 6, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AVAILABLE PUBLIC WATER — Public water pipes located in a right-of-way, easement, highway, street, or public way which crosses, joins, or abuts upon the property and passing not more than 300 feet at the nearest point from a structure.

This means that if your property is closer than 300 ft from public water utilities, whether they were available prior to this project or were installed as a result of this project, and your well fails, you won't be allowed to drill a new well.  In this circumstance you would have to move onto city water and there isn't any guarantee that government funding would be available at that time; this would put the monetary burden of connection to city water on the property.

The Township is not currently planning to impose water testing requirements at residences that do not connect during the project.

Plumber List for Water Service Connections
Water service placement in areas located adjacent to existing water main is ongoing. Plumbing companies are also quoting connections for residents in Phase I. If you have not done so already, please reach out to one or both of the two pre-qualified plumbing companies about connecting to municipal water. The City of Grand Rapids has approved the following companies as plumbers for making the private service connections:

Here is the process that will be followed for connections:

• The property owner can coordinate with one or both of the pre-approved plumbing companies and select the company that they feel most comfortable working at their house.
• The plumbing company will provide Prein & Newhof (P&N) and the City of Grand Rapids with a property specific quotation form.  This information will also be available to the property owner.
• P&N will coordinate with the City of Grand Rapids to review the property specific quotation form and verify that it is in line with the costs received at the time of bidding.
• Once verification of pricing is validated the plumbing company will be approved to complete the work.
• The plumbing contractor will coordinate with both the City of Grand Rapids and Cascade Township for required inspections.
• After completion of the work, the plumbing company must compile and submit all required paperwork to P&N and the City of Grand Rapids for review and payment.
• The City of Grand Rapids will approve payments to be made directly to the plumbing company. 

Please note that each connection is unique and there may be questions you have or issues specific to the connection at your home. Please discuss all those issues with your selected plumber and they will review with the project team to determine what is included in the project costs.

Project Contacts
A list of contacts for the project can be found on the left-hand side of the Prein & Newhof project page here: https://www.preinnewhof.com/construction_projects/goodwood-watermain/. If you don’t see your question/answer above, you can always reach out to the project email address at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

The Burger/Goodwood Neighborhood water extension project is about to begin! The project engineers are finalizing the project timeline with the contractor now, but the project is expected to begin in early April. Watch the project website for updated information. In the meantime, the most common questions we are receiving about the project are related to residents connecting to the system. Below you will find answers to some of the most common inquiries. It should also be noted that, due to the nature of the project, the answers below can change week-to-week or even day-to-day. We will update this page whenever there is new information available.

WHEN CAN I CONNECT TO THE WATER SYSTEM?
The connection process will take place in three phases. Residences that are located along the existing main have been eligible to connect since Fall 2022. If you live along this section but haven’t connected yet, please contact one of the plumbers ASAP. The residential connection process is beginning now for residences in Phase I of the project that are having watermain installed in front of their home this year. We encourage you to reach out to one or both of the plumbing contractors ASAP to get the process started. By making contact early, the plumber can identify and resolve any possible connection issues prior to the installation of the water main. All residents living in Phase I of the project will also receive communication containing this information by mail.

While Phase II is currently under design, it is expected those connections will begin in Spring 2024.

DO I HAVE TO CONNECT TO THE SYSTEM?
At this time the Township has not adopted a ground water use restriction ordinance that would require residents to connect. However, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is still determining what regulations may be necessary to remediate the PFAS contamination in the area as part of their conversations with the airport. It is very likely the Township will be asked to consider such an ordinance in the future, possibly as soon as this spring/summer. This type of ordinance has been adopted in other areas where groundwater has been contaminated by PFAS, with Plainfield and Algoma Townships as two of the most recent examples.

CAN I KEEP MY WELL FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES?
As mentioned above, the Township has not yet adopted a groundwater use restriction ordinance and is waiting for direction from EGLE before the next steps can be taken. It is likely that any ordinance under consideration would have a well exception process for irrigation, similar to what was passed in the areas affected by the Wolverine Worldwide contamination in Plainfield and Algoma Townships. In the meantime, if a resident chooses to keep their well for irrigation and connect the rest of their property to city water, they are responsible for all costs for any modification necessary to continue using the well for irrigation and these costs will not be reimbursed if the well needs to be abandoned in the future.

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES TO KEEPING MY WELL FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES ONLY?  
If there is PFAS in your water, this is not a good idea.  While PFAS doesn’t break down easily, it easily travels into grass, plants and gardens.  Also, humans come into contact with irrigation water.  The safest course is to take advantage of the well capping and close your well if you know or have any suspicion that there is PFAS in the well water.  

CAN I WAIT TO CONNECT UNTIL THERE IS MORE CLARIFICATION ON THE REQUIREMENTS?
Absolutely. If you want to wait until the final rules and regulations are in place for connection, you can do that. In the meantime, the Township and County have provided several interim cleanwater solutions that are outlined below. Once the final rules and regulations are in place, the Township will send a communication directly to homeowners outlining the rules and providing a timeline for any required connections.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR CONNECTION?
Through a competitive bidding process, the City of Grand Rapids has approved the following companies as plumbers for making the private service connections:

At this time, all project area residents that already have watermain installed in front of their house and residents located in Phase I of the project are eligible to contact the approved plumbers to schedule a connection. If you are unsure whether or not your home is in the eligible area, you can contact the project team at goodwoodwater@gmail.com for clarification. The plumbers have also been provided with a list of homes that are eligible to connect at this time.

Here is the process that will be followed for connections:

• The property owner can coordinate with one or both of the pre-approved plumbing companies and select the company that they feel most comfortable working at their house.
• The plumbing company will provide Prein & Newhof (P&N) and the City of Grand Rapids with a property specific quotation form.  This information will also be available to the property owner.
• P&N will coordinate with the City of Grand Rapids to review the property specific quotation form and verify that it is in line with the costs received at the time of bidding.
• Once verification of pricing is validated, the plumbing company will be approved to complete the work.
• The plumbing contractor will coordinate with both the City of Grand Rapids and Cascade Township for required inspections. 
• After completion of the work, the plumbing company must compile and submit all required paperwork to P&N and the City of Grand Rapids for review and payment.
• The City of Grand Rapids will approve payments to be made directly to the plumbing company. 

Please note that each connection is unique and there may be questions you have or issues specific to the connection at your home. Please discuss all those issues with your selected plumber and they will review with the project team to determine what is included in the project costs.

PROJECT RESTORATION CONTRACTORS
Cascade Township and the City of Grand Rapids are committed to restoration of the project area and leaving the neighborhood in the best condition possible, once the project is complete. If you have specific contractors that you use for services such as landscaping, irrigation or underground fencing, please forward the contact information to goodwoodwater@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your address when sending the information. 

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR CLEAN WATER UNTIL I AM ABLE TO CONNECT?
Cascade Township and the Kent County Health Department have approved several options for clean water until the public water main project is complete.

If you have a positive PFAS test above the MCL limit: The Township has committed to providing a whole house filtration system at no cost to you, including periodic maintenance. If you are interested in this service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-7917150. They have been given a list of households that qualify for this service based on the testing completed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). If you have a PFAS above the MCL limits that was done by an entity other then EGLE, you can provide it to Township Manager Ben Swayze at bswayze@cascadetwp.com to be added to the list.

If you have a positive PFAS test at any level: The Kent County Health Department is providing free point-of-use filters, including installation and periodic filter changes. If you are interested in this service, please contact the Kent County Health Department at 616-632-7100 or KCPFAS@kentcountymi.gov.

If you live in the PFAS contamination area: The Township has committed to providing bottled water service up until homes are able to connect to the public water system, whether or not they have had a positive PFAS test. If you are interested in bottled water service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-791-7150.

If you don’t see your question/answer above, you can always reach out to the project email address at goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

Due to circumstances outside of the Township’s control, the construction contractor for the Cascade PFAS Remediation Water Extension Project has indicated that construction on this project will now commence in spring of 2023. The Township is working with the City of Grand Rapids, project contractors, and project engineers to ensure this delay does not effect the agreed upon completion date of the project and that clean water is brought to the neighborhood as soon as possible. We will provide another update with more information as soon as one is available.

Water main connections are set to begin on 10.10.22.  Check out the October 5, 2022 updated project timeline for more information. 

Visit the P&N Construction Update Page
In addition to this project page maintained by Cascade Township, Prein & Newhof is also maintaining a project page which will be updated regularly regarding weekly work schedules once the project begins.

View printable Residential Connection FAQ at the link or read the text below.  A map outlining project phases was also shared.

The Burger/Goodwood Neighborhood water extension project is just about ready to get started! Construction crews were scheduled to begin on September 14th and you can learn more about the intended timeline of activities on this page. In the meantime, the most common questions we are receiving about the project are related to residents connecting to the system. Below you will find answers to some of the most common inquiries. It should also be noted that due to the nature of the project, the answers below can change week-to-week or even day-to-day. We will update this document whenever there is new information available. 

WHEN CAN I CONNECT TO THE WATER SYSTEM?
The connection process will take place in three phases (see the map for an outline of the phases.) Currently any residence that is in an area where the water main was previously installed are eligible to connect. Those residences have been notified directly to begin the process. For those residences in Phase I of the project that are having watermain installed in front of their home, the residential connection process will begin in Spring 2023. You can review the project timeline on our PFAS Remediation webpage to get a better idea of when you will be able to connect based on current timeline projections. This winter, the Township will send a comprehensive communication to all Phase I homeowners in preparation for the spring connection process. While Phase II is currently under design, it is expected those connections will begin in Spring 2024.

DO I HAVE TO CONNECT TO THE SYSTEM?
At this time the Township has not adopted a ground water use restriction ordinance that would require residents to connect. However, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is still determining what regulations may be necessary to remediate the PFAS contamination in the area as part of their conversations with the airport. It is very likely the Township will be asked to consider such an ordinance in the future, possibly as soon as this fall/winter. This type of ordinance has been adopted in other areas where PFAS contamination has occurred in the groundwater, with Plainfield and Algoma Townships being the most recent example.

CAN I KEEP MY WELL FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES?
As mentioned above, the Township has not yet adopted a groundwater use restriction ordinance and is waiting on EGLE before the next steps are taken. It is likely that any ordinance under consideration would have a well exception process for irrigation similar to what was passed in Plainfield and Algoma Townships in the areas affected by the Wolverine Worldwide contamination. In the meantime, if a resident chooses to keep their well for irrigation, they are responsible for all costs for any modifications necessary to keep the well for irrigation and these costs will not be reimbursed should the well need to be abandoned in the future.  

WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES TO KEEPING MY WELL FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSES ONLY?
If there is PFAS in your water, this is not a good idea.  While PFAS doesn’t break down easily, it easily travels into grass, plants and gardens.  Also, humans come into contact with irrigation water.  The safest course is to take advantage of the well capping and close your well if you know or have any suspicion that there is PFAS in the well water.    

CAN I WAIT TO CONNECT UNTIL THERE IS MORE CLARIFICATION ON THE REQUIREMENTS?
Absolutely. If you want to wait until the final rules and regulations are in place for connection, you can do that. In the meantime, the Township/County have provided several interim clean water solutions that are outlined below. Once the final rules and regulations are in place the Township will send a communication directly to homeowners outlining the rules and providing a timeline for any required connections.  

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR CONNECTION?
Through a competitive bidding process, the City of Grand Rapids has approved the following companies as plumbers for making the private service connections:                    

At this time, all project area residents that already have watermain installed in front of their house are eligible to contact the approved plumbers to schedule a connection. If you are unsure whether or not you already have watermain installed in front of your house, you can contact the project team at goodwoodwater@gmail.com for clarification. The plumbers have also been provided a list of homes that are eligible to connect at this time.  

Here is the process that will be followed for connections:

• The property owner can coordinate with one or both of the pre-approved plumbing companies and select the company that they feel most comfortable working at their house. 
• The plumbing company will provide Prein & Newhof (P&N) and the City of Grand Rapids with a property specific quotation form.  This information will also be available to the property owner.
• P&N will coordinate with the City of Grand Rapids to review the property specific quotation form and verify that it is in line with the costs received at the time of bidding.
• Once verification of pricing is validated the plumbing company will be approved to complete the work.
• The plumbing contractor will coordinate with both the City of Grand Rapids and Cascade Township for required inspections.
• After completion of the work, the plumbing company must compile and submit all required paperwork to P&N and the City of Grand Rapids for review and payment.
• The City of Grand Rapids will approve payments to be made directly to the plumbing company. 

Please note that each connection is unique and there may be questions you have or issues specific to the connection at your home. Please discuss all those issues with your selected plumber and they will review with the project team to determine what is included in the project costs. 

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR CLEAN WATER UNTIL I AM ABLE TO CONNECT?
Cascade Township and the Kent County Health Department have approved several options for clean water until the public water main project is complete.

If you have a positive PFAS test above the MCL limit: The Township has committed to providing a whole house filtration system at no cost to you, including periodic maintenance. If you are interested in this service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-791-7150. They have been given a list of households that qualify for this service based on the testing completed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). If you have a PFAS above the MCL limits that was done by an entity other then EGLE, you can provide it to Township Manager Ben Swayze at bswayze@cascadetwp.com to be added to the list.

If you have a positive PFAS test at any level: The Kent County Health Department is providing free point-of-use filters, including installation and periodic filter changes. If you are interested in this service, please contact the Kent County Health Department at 616-632-7100 or KCPFAS@kentcountymi.gov.

If you live in the PFAS contamination area: The Township has committed to providing bottled water service up until homes are able to connect to the public water system, whether or not they have had a positive PFAS test of not. If you are interested in bottled water service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-791-7150.

If you don’t see your question/answer above, you can always reach out to the project email address at goodwoodwater@gmail.com. 

Plumber List for Water Service Connections
The City of Grand Rapids has approved the following companies as plumbers for making the private service connections:

At this time, all project area residents that already have watermain installed in front of their house are eligible to contact the approved plumbers to schedule a connection. If you are unsure whether or not you already have watermain installed in front of your house, you can contact the project team at goodwoodwater@gmail.com for clarification. The plumbers have also been provided a list of homes that are eligible to connect at this time.

Here is the process that will be followed for connections:

• The property owner can coordinate with one or both of the pre-approved plumbing companies and select the company that they feel most comfortable working at their house.
• The plumbing company will provide Prein & Newhof (P&N) and the City of Grand Rapids with a property specific quotation form. This information will also be available to the property owner.
• P&N will coordinate with the City of Grand Rapids to review the property specific quotation form and verify that it is in line with the costs received at the time of bidding.
• Once verification of pricing is validated the plumbing company will be approved to complete the work.
• The plumbing contractor will coordinate with both the City of Grand Rapids and Cascade Township for required inspections.
• After completion of the work, the plumbing company must compile and submit all required paperwork to P&N and the City of Grand Rapids for review and payment.
• The City of Grand Rapids will approve payments to be made directly to the plumbing company.

Please note that each connection is unique and there may be questions you have or issues specific to the connection at your home. Please discuss all those issues with your selected plumber and they will review with the project team to determine what is included in the project costs.

Tree Removals

The tree removals for Phase I of the project are expected to begin the week of August 1st. There are approximately 44 trees scheduled to be removed in the Phase I project area, and trees currently scheduled for removal are flagged with an orange ribbon.

The project engineers did the best they could to avoid tree removals. All trees being removed will be replaced at a 2-1 ratio at the conclusion of the project, but may not be put back in the exact same place to ensure there are no future issues with infrastructure repair.

Interim Clean Water Solutions

Cascade Township and the Kent County Health Department have approved several options for clean water until the public water main project is complete.

If you have a positive PFAS test above the MCL limit: The Township has committed to providing a whole house filtration system at no cost to you, including periodic maintenance. If you are interested in this service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-791-7150. They have been given a list of households that qualify for this service based on the testing completed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). If you have a PFAS above the MCL limits that was done by an entity other then EGLE, you can provide it to Township Manager Ben Swayze at bswayze@cascadetwp.com to be added to the list.

If you have a positive PFAS test at any level: The Kent County Health Department is providing free point-of-use filters, including installation and periodic filter changes. If you are interested in this service, please contact the Kent County Health Department at 616-632-7100 or KCPFAS@kentcountymi.gov.

If you live in the PFAS contamination area: The Township has committed to providing bottled water service up until homes are able to connect to the public water system, whether or not they have had a positive PFAS test of not. If you are interested in bottled water service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-791-7150.

Water Installation Project Email
In order to help with answering project questions, the project management engineering firm has created a project specific email address. Specific questions regarding the project can be sent to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

P&N Construction Update Page
In addition to the project page maintained by Cascade Township (https://www.cascadetwp.com/community/pfas-remediation-water-extension-project) Prein & Newhof is also maintaining a project page which will be updated regularly regarding weekly work schedules once the project begins: https://www.preinnewhof.com/construction_projects/cascade-goodwood/.

A new and updated project schedule was made available on 6.10.22.

Phase I
Phase I of the water main extension project has been bid out, and the contract was awarded to Kamminga & Roodevoets, a local contractor with a history of successful projects in Cascade Township and the region. The bad news is that, due to very extended water main procurement timelines, the project won’t get started until this fall. Currently the project is scheduled to begin September 12th, but this date could change based on when water main becomes available. Because of the late start, the project will extend into 2023. The goal for 2022 (before construction shut-down for the winter) is to complete the water main on Burger Drive.

Plumber List for Water Service Connections
The City of Grand Rapids has issued the request for proposals from plumbers for making the private water service connections. Bids are due June 16th and approval is expected by the City of Grand Rapids City Commission in early July. Once the list is available, it will be sent directly to those residents whom already have water main installed in front of their houses to begin the connections process. This list will come with detailed instructions on how to ensure the work done at your home is covered by the project funds. If you know a plumber or contractor interesting in bidding on the work, they can find more information about bidding here (https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/16793/home?agency=true)

Interim Clean Water Solutions 
Cascade Township and the Kent County Health Department have approved several options for clean water until the public water main project is complete.

If you have a positive PFAS test above the MCL limit: The Township has committed to providing a whole house filtration system at no cost to you, including periodic maintenance. If you are interested in this service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-791-7150. They have been given a list of households that qualify for this service based on the testing completed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). If you have a PFAS above the MCL limits that was done by an entity other then EGLE, you can provide it to Township Manager Ben Swayze at bswayze@cascadetwp.com to be added to the list.

If you have a positive PFAS test at any level: The Kent County Health Department is providing free point-of-use filters, including installation and periodic filter changes. If you are interested in this service, please contact the Kent County Health Department at 616-632-7100 or KCPFAS@kentcountymi.gov.

If you live in the PFAS contamination area: The Township has committed to providing bottled water service up until homes are able to connect to the public water system, whether or not they have had a positive PFAS test of not. If you are interested in bottled water service, please contact Culligan Water – Grand Rapids at 616-791-7150.

Water Installation Project Email
In order to help with answering project questions, the project management engineering firm has created a project specific email address. Specific questions regarding the project can be sent to goodwoodwater@gmail.com.

If you are interested in receiving email updates regarding the PFAS Remediation Water Extension Project, click here to subscribe to the PFAS e-news list.

On February 3, 2022, EGLE held a meeting at the KDL -Cascade, Wisner Center, in collaboration with Cascade Charter Township, MDHHS, MIDNR, Kent County, and the City of Grand Rapids Water Department  to explain the planned watermain extension project, answer resident questions, and educate them on EGLE's recent PFAS well water samples.  This meeting was video recorded for future education. Initial Citizens Meeting Video Recording

EGLE shared an update regarding residential well sampling.

At the beginning of the project EGLE handled communication related to the PFAS sampling and potential water contamination.

05.16.19 Update #1 - Cascade Township Residential Drinking Water Well Sampling​

08.05.19 Update #2 - Cascade Township Residential Drinking Water Well Sampling

11.15.19 Update #3 - Cascade Township Residential Drinking Water Well Sampling

02.14.20 Update #4 - Cascade Township Residential Drinking Water Well Sampling

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality conducted an evaluation of residential drinking wells for PFAS compounds in approximately 50 homes along the Trout Creek area east of the 36th Street exits off I-96 and west of Tricklewood Drive. Residents previously sampled as part of the efforts by Gerald R. Ford International Airport or Lacks Industries were not resampled. Residents who provided independent PFAS results below 5 ppt were not contacted.

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport released a statement regarding the Residential Well Testing Results in Cascade Township.

Kent County Health Department issued a press release advising against the ingestion of foam on the Thornapple River. Sample set results were also provided.

State of Michigan PFAS Health Advisory Level & Cleanup Criteria Report from GR Ford Airport's multi-step evaluation process to assess the potential presence of PFAS on airport property.

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport issued a press release regarding the details of their residential water testing process as they neared the conclusion of their sample collection phase.

The Township learned of potential PFAS contamination caused by a fire-retardant material, known as the AFFF, at the airport, Cascade Charter Township hired Fleis & VandenBrink to test the two wells that serve Cascade Township Park, located at 3810 Thornapple River Dr. SE. Test results determined no amount of PFAS was detected in the wells that serve the park.  See the summary of the report and the full report for a more detailed analysis of the information.

Previous Township Manager Ben Swayze spoke with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and learned:

• March 29 - The DEQ did not have confirmation of PFAS contamination in or around the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
• The DEQ formally asked the airport to conduct an investigation into the chemicals used in firefighting foam. This process included soil sampling and aquifer profiling in order to map out the potential for contamination.
• The DEQ was the first contact for residents and could be reached at the Environmental Assistance Center at 800.662.9278. The DEQ did not advised residents to drink bottled water or to have their wells tested at that time.
• Residents interested in the state’s response to PFAS in Northern Kent County can find more information here. 

In partnership with the City of Grand Rapids, the Township applied for and was awarded a $5 million grant to begin the extension of municipal water service to the Trout Creek area, where drinking wells were contaminated with PFAS. In addition, the State of Michigan provided $1.65 million for the project. This funding ensured Phase One of the project could begin in 2022. The Township and other project partners pursued funding for Phase Two of the project, completed in 2025.