Michigan
Oscoda
Good news: No PFAS detected above reporting limits in your water system.
- Population served
- 7.0K
- Systems tested
- 1
- Compounds detected
- 29
- Above federal limits
- 0
Source: EPA UCMR 5 · Samples collected 2023–2026
What was found in Oscoda’s water
OSCODA TOWNSHIP
Serves 7.0K people · SWP
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
This compound is monitored under UCMR 5 but has no enforceable EPA drinking water limit yet.
About PFAS contamination in Oscoda
## Summary
Oscoda Township's municipal public water system showed no PFAS compounds above the EPA Minimum Reporting Level in the most recent round of federal testing, a result that reflects well on the utility serving roughly 7,000 residents. That clean result, however, exists alongside one of the most significant PFAS contamination stories in the country: the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, which operated for decades in Oscoda, released PFAS-laden firefighting foam that has contaminated local groundwater and portions of the Au Sable River watershed. The Department of Defense has been conducting ongoing remediation at the site, and many private well users in the surrounding area have received bottled water or point-of-entry treatment filters as a result. The critical distinction is that the township's municipal supply draws from a source separate from the affected groundwater, which is why the public system's test results differ so sharply from the broader contamination picture in the community.
## What the data shows
Oscoda Township (PWSID MI0005040) was tested under the EPA's fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, known as UCMR 5, which screens for 29 PFAS compounds across multiple samples. The system returned no detections above the EPA Minimum Reporting Level for any of the 29 compounds tested. In plain terms, none of the PFAS targeted by this federal screening program were found at measurable levels in the municipal supply.
## What residents should know
Customers of Oscoda Township's municipal water system can take some reassurance from these results, but the data applies only to that system and should not be read as a statement about water quality across the broader Oscoda area. Private well users in the surrounding region have faced documented PFAS contamination tied to Wurtsmith Air Force Base operations and should not assume their water shares the municipal system's results. Anyone relying on a private well should contact the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy or their local health department about testing options. Municipal customers with questions about their supply are encouraged to contact Oscoda Township directly for the most current information.
About this summary: Narrative text on this page was drafted by an AI model (claude-sonnet-4-6) from EPA UCMR 5 data and reviewed before publication. The numeric data above is reported by water utilities directly to the EPA. If you spot an error, email data@checkyourwater.org.
What Oscoda residents can do
Oscoda's water meets federal PFAS standards based on EPA UCMR 5 testing. To stay informed:
- Read your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), and request a copy if you don't receive one.
- Sign up for water quality alerts from your utility.
- If you're on a private well, get it independently tested for PFAS.
- Reduce PFAS exposure from non-water sources: avoid non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and grease-resistant food packaging.
Primary contamination source: Wurtsmith Air Force Base AFFF firefighting foam
Settlement information: Ongoing DoD remediation; 3M settlement eligible
How Oscoda compares
Oscoda is one of 1 community we track in Michigan where PFAS levels exceed federal limits.
Where this data comes from
- Testing program: EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle (UCMR 5)
- Testing period: 2023–2026
- Federal limits: EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) finalized April 2024
- Methodology: Read how we calculate grades
- Raw EPA data: EPA UCMR Occurrence Data
This data reflects EPA testing. Your water utility may have more recent results. Contact them directly for the most current information.