{"id":4542,"date":"2026-06-08T09:16:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lenaweevoice.com\/?p=4542"},"modified":"2026-09-03T23:50:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T04:50:24","slug":"whats-going-on-with-adrians-city-water-and-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lenaweevoice.com\/staging\/7542\/2026\/06\/08\/whats-going-on-with-adrians-city-water-and-why\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s going on with Adrian\u2019s city water, and why?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Concentrations
Concentrations of the compound 2-Methylisoborneol in Lake Adrian, which was created in the 1940s by damming Wolf Creek, are the primary cause of the taste and odor complaints about Adrian city water. (Photo by Erik Gable)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ADRIAN \u2014 A springtime spike in complaints about Adrian\u2019s city water led to a good deal of discussion at the June 1 Adrian City Commission meeting<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

City commissioners heard comments from members of the public about their problems with city water, and also received a report from utilities director and acting city administrator Will Sadler about the reasons for the problem and the challenges involved in fixing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur drinking water is an essential need,\u201d city resident Michelle Taylor said during the public comment period. \u201cIt\u2019s something that we trust the city of Adrian to provide. And the fact that it has horrific taste and horrific smell makes it contaminated, and it is beyond a nuisance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A similar sentiment came from city resident Scott Marvin, who said: \u201cIf you\u2019re willing to fix the water problem, I\u2019m willing to pay more for my water bill to have clean water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the cause?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adrian gets its water from two sources. The primary source is a wellfield on Hamilton Highway, but groundwater from the four wells there gets mixed with surface water from Lake Adrian, a manmade reservoir that was created about 85 years ago by damming Wolf Creek. The water from Lake Adrian is the source of the problems, Sadler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are two main organic compounds that thrive in the lake that are the culprit in our issues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those compounds are 2-Methylisoborneol, often called MIB, and Geosmin. Both have a taste and smell that is often described as musty or earthy. Different people can detect these compounds at different levels, which is why some people say the water is undrinkable while others can\u2019t taste anything at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadler said the primary compound affecting the taste and smell of Adrian\u2019s water right now is MIB. The concentration of MIB in Lake Adrian spiked this May, just like it did last spring, but this year the levels did not come down as quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe biggest way for us to help with that is running all of our wells,\u201d Sadler said. That\u2019s because when groundwater makes up a larger portion of the water that comes out of people\u2019s taps, the total concentration of MIB is diminished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This spring, Sadler said, one of the four Hamilton Highway wells had to be taken down for maintenance while a motor and a pump were replaced. But although greater reliance on surface water exacerbates the problem, he said, some people can detect MIB and Geosmin at such low levels \u2014 10 parts per trillion or below \u2014 that they can still taste and smell it even when all four wells are running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still pumping about 70 percent well water, so that just goes to show you how potent this particular compound is,\u201d he said. \u201cEven though we\u2019re using only 30 percent water from the lake, it\u2019s still strong enough for people to notice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can be done?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MIB and Geosmin are both notoriously difficult to remove<\/a> using conventional treatment methods. Water is treated with activated carbon at the city\u2019s plant on Bent Oak Avenue, but that isn\u2019t able to remove more than a fraction of the total amount. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the problem can\u2019t be addressed by relying exclusively on groundwater, Sadler said, because the aquifers in the Adrian area just aren\u2019t able to supply it in enough volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are groundwater-poor,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just not there in the quantities that we need it. And even if you gave me an unlimited bag of money to put as many wells as I could possibly drill into that specific aquifer, I can\u2019t pull it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding a fifth well at Hamilton Highway is still an option, Sadler said, and the city has been working with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to get permission for that. Although the city still would still only be able to run four wells at a time, the fifth would provide a backup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we are able to put that in, that doesn\u2019t mean we get to run five wells,\u201d Sadler said. \u201cThat means we can still only run four, but at least we\u2019ll have one when one of them is down for repair or for maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If approved, a new well is probably a year to a year and a half away, Sadler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the surface water that is the source of the problem, the city currently uses ultrasonic wave generators to help control the algae that releases MIB and Geosmin. Those replaced the solar-powered circulation devices that could once be seen in the middle of Lake Adrian every summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to a question about whether something like a reverse osmosis system would work, Sadler said those systems bring up a different set of problems \u2014 specifically, what to do with the \u201creject water\u201d that results from the process..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re pulling everything out of that water,\u201d he said. \u201cThe good, the bad and the ugly. Well, guess what \u2014 all of that stuff that you pulled out of 100 gallons is now in 20 gallons. What are you going to do with that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The options include putting it into the city\u2019s wastewater stream or seeking a permit to put it back into the environment. And Sadler estimated that a reverse osmosis system for a treatment plant the size of Adrian\u2019s would cost at least $15 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not trying to say we shouldn\u2019t look into it \u2014 just remember there\u2019s always a downside,\u201d Sadler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the household level, he said, options can include using a Brita filter for drinking water or using lemon or lime juice to help cover the taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because some people can detect MIB at extremely low concentrations, Sadler said, it will be very difficult to get the level down to a point where nobody can taste it as long as the city is partially reliant on surface water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSurface water is terrible to treat,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to treat because of the organic material in it that\u2019s not something you get in groundwater. But as long as we\u2019re having to use that, we\u2019re potentially going to have this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of his presentation, Sadler addressed a report card from the website WaterVerge.com<\/a> that has been circulating on social media. A search for Adrian on that site brings up a grade of \u201cF\u201d as well as reports of numerous violations. The problem, Sadler said, is that the website\u2019s data lumps several other systems in with Adrian\u2019s municipal system, including Madison Township water and private systems that serve a number of subdivisions and mobile home parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have no violations,\u201d he said. \u201cThat website lumps all of these entities in with the city of Adrian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

City commissioner Matt Schwartz said it\u2019s disheartening to go into restaurants and see them advertising that they filter their water or that they don\u2019t use Adrian city water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resident Nancy O\u2019Connor urged the city to find a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just a springtime thing and it\u2019s not just a summertime thing,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is year-round. I have no idea what the solutions could be, but can we please work on doing something? Because we deserve to have some water that we\u2019re able to drink without having to doctor it up with something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the June 1 meeting here:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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