Industrial users of GLWA Water Resource Recovery Facility

Users sampled

55

of 229 on record

Above 12 ng/L PFOS

35

132 of 211 PFOS samples

Highest PFOS sample

2,000 ng/L

Valicor

Latest sample

Nov 2024

211 samples in all

12 ng/L is Michigan’s surface water quality value for PFOS and the screening criterion of the initiative; 170 ng/L is the value for PFOA since July 2022. Both apply to what a treatment plant discharges to a river or lake, not to what a factory sends to the sewer. An industrial user above the level has not broken a limit: it is a source the receiving plant has to follow up with sampling, a reduction plan or pretreatment.

The largest groups, from each user's NAICS code.

1. 01

   Which industries discharge to GLWA Water Resource Recovery Facility?

   229 industrial users on record discharge process wastewater to GLWA Water Resource Recovery Facility in Detroit, most of them in metal finishing and plating (57), automotive, metal and equipment manufacturing (44), other industries (27). 35 are categorical users, subject to federal pretreatment standards for their industry.

2. 02

   Has PFAS been found in wastewater sent to GLWA Water Resource Recovery Facility?

   55 of the plant’s industrial users have been sampled for PFAS, 211 samples in 2023–2024. 35 had at least one sample with PFOS above the 12 ng/L screening level; the highest was 2,000 ng/L. The level is a surface water quality value, so a sample above it marks a source the plant has to follow up, not a violation by the company.

3. 03

   What is an industrial pretreatment programme?

   Under the Clean Water Act a treatment plant that receives industrial wastewater has to control it at the source: it permits its significant industrial users, sets local limits, inspects and samples them, and reports to the state each year. The aim is to stop pollutants that pass through or disrupt the plant, or end up in its biosolids.

4. 04

   How do I get the full list of industrial users for GLWA Water Resource Recovery Facility?

   This page shows the first 5 of 229. The full list, with each user’s discharge flow, federal category, PFAS sampling history, source documents and contacts, is available with a free Klarifi account.