Battle Creek made its name as the Cereal City — home to Kellogg’s and Post. But the city’s industrial history goes well beyond breakfast food, and decades of manufacturing left contamination that residents are still dealing with today.
The Verona Well Field Superfund Site
The most significant water contamination issue in Battle Creek’s history centers on the Verona Well Field — a municipal wellfield that supplied drinking water to the city until contamination forced changes.
Trichloroethylene (TCE), a common industrial degreasing solvent, was found in the well field’s groundwater at levels exceeding federal drinking water standards. The contamination was traced to multiple industrial operations in the area that had used and improperly disposed of chlorinated solvents over decades.
The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List, triggering a formal Superfund investigation and cleanup. Key facts:
- TCE and related compounds (including cis-1,2-dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride — a known carcinogen) were detected in monitoring wells
- Multiple source areas contributed to the groundwater plume, making remediation complex
- Pump-and-treat systems were installed to intercept contaminated groundwater and prevent it from reaching active drinking water wells
- Long-term monitoring continues, as chlorinated solvent plumes can persist for decades in groundwater
Hart Industries and Other Industrial Sites
Battle Creek’s manufacturing base — once a major economic engine — left multiple contamination sites beyond the Verona Well Field:
Hart Industries operated in Battle Creek and generated industrial waste that contributed to local groundwater contamination. The facility handled materials that included heavy metals and organic solvents.
Fort Custer Industrial Park — built on the former Fort Custer military reservation — hosts various industrial operations. Historical military activities and subsequent industrial use created a patchwork of potential contamination sources that require ongoing monitoring.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) tracks numerous contaminated sites in the Battle Creek area through its Part 201 program, which addresses environmental contamination from historical industrial activities.
PFAS: The Emerging Threat
Like much of Michigan — which has some of the highest rates of PFAS detection in the nation — Battle Creek faces growing concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Michigan’s aggressive PFAS testing program has identified contamination at military installations, industrial sites, and municipal water systems across the state. Battle Creek’s proximity to military facilities (the former Fort Custer and the Air National Guard base at W.K. Kellogg Airport) raises particular concerns, since aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) used in military firefighting training is one of the most significant sources of PFAS contamination nationwide.
The state of Michigan has established some of the strictest PFAS standards in the country:
- PFOA: 8 parts per trillion (Michigan MCL)
- PFOS: 16 parts per trillion (Michigan MCL)
- GenX (HFPO-DA): 370 parts per trillion
These standards are more protective than the EPA’s 2024 federal limits for some compounds, reflecting Michigan’s proactive stance on PFAS regulation driven by widespread contamination across the state.
Current Water Supply
Battle Creek’s municipal water system has adapted to its contamination challenges. The city uses a combination of surface water and groundwater sources, with treatment designed to meet all current federal and state standards.
Key infrastructure includes:
- Water treatment plant with conventional treatment processes
- Monitoring wells around known contamination sites to track plume movement
- Regular testing for regulated and emerging contaminants
The utility publishes annual Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) detailing test results for all regulated contaminants. These reports are required by the Safe Drinking Water Act and are available to all customers.
The Kalamazoo River Factor
The Kalamazoo River flows through Battle Creek and carries its own contamination legacy. Upstream paper manufacturing operations released PCBs into the river for decades, leading to one of the largest PCB cleanups in the nation — the Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site.
While the river isn’t a direct drinking water source for Battle Creek, it’s part of the broader watershed and affects:
- Recreational water quality — fish consumption advisories remain in effect for portions of the river
- Sediment contamination — PCBs bind to sediments and can be disturbed during flooding
- Ecosystem health — the river system’s contamination affects the overall environmental quality of the region
What Private Well Owners Should Know
Calhoun County has areas where private wells may be affected by:
- Chlorinated solvent plumes from historical industrial operations
- Nitrate contamination from agricultural activities in rural areas
- PFAS from multiple potential sources including military operations and industrial use
If you’re on a private well:
- Test regularly for bacteria, nitrates, and VOCs
- Ask about PFAS testing — Michigan offers free PFAS testing for private wells near known contamination sites through EGLE
- Check EGLE’s contamination maps for known sites near your property
What Residents Can Do
- Read your CCR — the annual water quality report from your utility tells you exactly what’s in your water
- Contact EGLE if you suspect contamination — Michigan’s environmental agency is responsive to resident concerns
- Consider additional treatment — reverse osmosis or activated carbon filtration can provide an extra layer of protection
- Stay informed about Superfund progress — EPA provides regular updates on cleanup activities at listed sites
If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and advise on solutions specific to Battle Creek’s contamination profile.