An upcoming seminar will help educate and update the public on the extent of PFAS contamination in the water.

Laura Rubin, Executive Director of the Huron River Watershed Council, will conduct a presentation at the South Lyon City Hall Auditorium on Wednesday, January 9th from 1:30 to 2:30pm. Entitled “What We Know And What We Need To Know,” Rubin will share the latest news and specific details about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, that have been found in the Huron River. The seminar will end with the public having an opportunity to ask questions. PFAS are man-made chemicals found in a variety of common household products, construction materials, electronics and firefighting foam.

Rubin shares some solutions that she and the Watershed Council are looking for and hoping to spread. She said, for one, they want to raise public awareness and teach residents what the greatest risk is. She says, “It’s not through canoeing or swimming. It’s consuming it.” The Huron River Watershed Council also is hoping the state develops a drinking water standard, as many communities aren’t sure what they should be regulating for, if anything.

Rubin says that experts are beginning to understand the chemicals more and are getting a better handle on the problems they cause like thyroid problems, fertility problems, and threats to cancer. She says there are technologies that can take PFAS out of water systems pretty easily, but communities and residents often need guidance about whether it’s needed. Filters and testing can be expensive, Rubin says, and are sometimes unnecessary. (MK)