Chromium-6 Contamination

Chromium-6 in Michigan Drinking Water

Ranked by max chromium-6 detected (µg/L) · UCMR 3 data (2013–2015) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

121

Cities Tested

121

Detected

100%

% Detected

0.23 µg/L

State Avg

▼ 0% vs national

vs National

344

Health Violations

Analysis

Chromium-6 in Michigan: what the data shows

Michigan has 121 cities with chromium-6 data from the EPA's UCMR 3 program (2013–2015). Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) was detected in 121 of those cities. There is currently no federal MCL for chromium-6 — California's 10 µg/L limit is used as a reference. The state average max detected level is 0.23 µg/L. Chromium-6 occurs naturally in some groundwater aquifers but also from industrial discharge, particularly from steel processing, chrome plating, and leather tanning. It is distinct from trivalent chromium (Cr III), which is an essential nutrient at low doses. The National Toxicology Program and IARC classify chromium-6 as a carcinogen via inhalation; the evidence for drinking water carcinogenicity is strong but regulatory action at the federal level remains pending as of 2026. Reverse osmosis systems effectively remove chromium-6 to near-undetectable levels.

Comparison

Cities exceeding No federal MCL (CA: 10 µg/L)

Michigan

100%

121 of 121 cities

← = Exactly at national rate

National avg

100%

3934 of 3934 cities

City Map

Chromium-6 data across Michigan

Each dot is a city with UCMR 3 chromium-6 data. Detected cities are shown; there is no federal MCL — California's 10 µg/L limit is used as a reference. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by chromium-6 level in Michigan

Highest Chromium-6 levels (µg/L)

All Cities

All Michigan cities ranked by chromium-6 level

#	City	Level	Detected?	Violations	Grade
1	Calumet	1.53 µg/L	Detected	2	B+
2	Mount Clemens	0.81 µg/L	Detected	3	B+
3	Kincheloe	0.60 µg/L	Detected	10	A
4	Grand Rapids	0.56 µg/L	Detected	10	B-
5	Fenton	0.54 µg/L	Detected	5	D
6	Adrian	0.51 µg/L	Detected	46	F
7	Midland	0.50 µg/L	Detected	3	B+
8	Mount Pleasant	0.48 µg/L	Detected	1	B+
9	Owosso	0.42 µg/L	Detected	15	C+
10	Flint	0.40 µg/L	Detected	29	D
11	Saginaw	0.39 µg/L	Detected	3	A-
12	Okemos	0.38 µg/L	Detected	10	B-
13	East Lansing	0.37 µg/L	Detected	12	F
14	Corunna	0.35 µg/L	Detected	0	A
15	Monroe	0.33 µg/L	Detected	6	C
16	Southgate	0.33 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
17	St Joseph	0.33 µg/L	Detected	2	A
18	Lansing	0.32 µg/L	Detected	13	C-
19	Jackson	0.31 µg/L	Detected	13	D
20	Ferndale	0.28 µg/L	Detected	4	B
21	Ann Arbor	0.27 µg/L	Detected	39	D+
22	Bay City	0.27 µg/L	Detected	20	B
23	Traverse City	0.27 µg/L	Detected	12	D+
24	New Boston	0.27 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
25	Muskegon Heights	0.27 µg/L	Detected	2	B+
26	Kentwood	0.27 µg/L	Detected	3	B
27	Fraser	0.27 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
28	Novi	0.26 µg/L	Detected	9	C
29	Eastpointe	0.26 µg/L	Detected	0	A
30	Grosse Pointe Woods	0.26 µg/L	Detected	0	B
31	Benton Harbor	0.26 µg/L	Detected	16	D+
32	Ypsilanti	0.25 µg/L	Detected	5	B+
33	Farmington	0.25 µg/L	Detected	2	A
34	Wayne	0.24 µg/L	Detected	0	B-
35	Bridgeport	0.24 µg/L	Detected	0	A+
36	Detroit	0.24 µg/L	Detected	3	B+
37	St. Clair Shores	0.24 µg/L	Detected	1	A
38	Muskegon	0.24 µg/L	Detected	3	B
39	Hamtramck	0.24 µg/L	Detected	2	B-
40	Muskgon	0.24 µg/L	Detected	1	A
41	Newport	0.24 µg/L	Detected	0	A
42	Grandville	0.23 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
43	Brighton	0.23 µg/L	Detected	25	F
44	Norton Shores	0.23 µg/L	Detected	0	A
45	Byron Center	0.23 µg/L	Detected	0	A+
46	Escanaba	0.23 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
47	Canton	0.22 µg/L	Detected	3	A
48	Portage	0.22 µg/L	Detected	1	B+
49	Port Huron	0.22 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
50	Garden City	0.22 µg/L	Detected	0	B
51	Macomb	0.21 µg/L	Detected	0	A
52	Troy	0.21 µg/L	Detected	10	B-
53	Jenison	0.21 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
54	Brownstown Twp	0.21 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
55	Grand Haven	0.21 µg/L	Detected	1	A-
56	Burton	0.21 µg/L	Detected	2	A
57	Allendale	0.21 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
58	East Grand Rapids	0.21 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
59	Roosevelt Park	0.21 µg/L	Detected	0	A
60	Holland	0.21 µg/L	Detected	20	B-
61	Inkster	0.20 µg/L	Detected	0	B
62	West Bloomfield	0.20 µg/L	Detected	21	F
63	Redford	0.20 µg/L	Detected	1	B
64	Lincoln Park	0.20 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
65	Highland Park	0.20 µg/L	Detected	3	A-
66	Clinton Township	0.19 µg/L	Detected	1	B+
67	Auburn Hills	0.19 µg/L	Detected	1	B+
68	Mt Pleasant	0.19 µg/L	Detected	0	C
69	Melvindale	0.19 µg/L	Detected	2	A-
70	Farmington Hills	0.18 µg/L	Detected	86	F
71	Pontiac	0.18 µg/L	Detected	2	A
72	Commerce Township	0.18 µg/L	Detected	0	A+
73	Fort Gratiot	0.18 µg/L	Detected	1	A
74	Lake Orion	0.17 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
75	Grosse Pointe Park	0.17 µg/L	Detected	1	B+
76	Sterling Heights	0.16 µg/L	Detected	0	A
77	Dearborn	0.16 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
78	Chesterfield Township	0.16 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
79	Livonia	0.16 µg/L	Detected	0	A
80	Riverview	0.16 µg/L	Detected	0	A+
81	Northville	0.15 µg/L	Detected	3	B+
82	Warren	0.15 µg/L	Detected	0	A
83	Sault Ste. Marie	0.14 µg/L	Detected	2	B-
84	Menominee	0.14 µg/L	Detected	3	A
85	Southfield	0.14 µg/L	Detected	40	F
86	Dearborn Heights	0.14 µg/L	Detected	2	C+
87	Grand Blanc	0.14 µg/L	Detected	26	F
88	Alpena	0.14 µg/L	Detected	14	C-
89	Washington	0.14 µg/L	Detected	0	A
90	Woodhaven	0.14 µg/L	Detected	0	A
91	Beverly Hills	0.14 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
92	Grosse Ile	0.14 µg/L	Detected	1	B-
93	Bad Axe	0.14 µg/L	Detected	3	A
94	Shelby Township	0.13 µg/L	Detected	6	D
95	Bloomfield Township	0.13 µg/L	Detected	0	A+
96	Romulus	0.13 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
97	Birmingham	0.13 µg/L	Detected	17	F
98	Ecorse	0.13 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
99	Kalamazoo	0.12 µg/L	Detected	37	F
100	Rochester Hills	0.12 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
101	Royal Oak	0.12 µg/L	Detected	9	B
102	Madison Heights	0.12 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
103	Harrison Township	0.12 µg/L	Detected	0	A
104	Berkley	0.12 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
105	Harper Woods	0.12 µg/L	Detected	2	B
106	Belleville	0.12 µg/L	Detected	4	D
107	Plymouth	0.12 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
108	Taylor	0.11 µg/L	Detected	2	C
109	Oak Park	0.11 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
110	Trenton	0.11 µg/L	Detected	1	A-
111	Clawson	0.11 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
112	Wyandotte	0.10 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
113	Roseville	0.10 µg/L	Detected	0	A
114	Allen Park	0.10 µg/L	Detected	4	B+
115	Hazel Park	0.10 µg/L	Detected	0	A+
116	New Baltimore	0.10 µg/L	Detected	1	A
117	Manistee	0.07 µg/L	Detected	3	A-
118	Marquette	0.07 µg/L	Detected	4	F
119	Waterford	0.03 µg/L	Detected	11	B
120	Niles	0.03 µg/L	Detected	2	C
121	Clarkston	0.03 µg/L	Detected	10	B+

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about chromium-6 in Michigan

Is chromium-6 in Michigan tap water dangerous?

Chromium-6 (hexavalent chromium) is a potential human carcinogen. There is currently no federal MCL — California's 10 µg/L limit is the most protective US standard. 121 cities in Michigan had detectable chromium-6 in UCMR 3 testing (2013–2015). Reverse osmosis is the most effective removal method.

Where does chromium-6 come from in Michigan water?

Chromium-6 enters water supplies from two main sources: natural weathering of chromium-containing rock formations (especially in the Southwest and parts of the Midwest) and industrial discharge from steel mills, chrome plating, and coal ash sites. Groundwater systems are more commonly affected by natural sources, while surface water systems near industrial areas face pollution-related risks.

How can I filter chromium-6 from my water in Michigan?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective, removing over 95% of chromium-6. Some high-quality activated alumina or anion exchange filters also provide significant reduction. Standard carbon filters and pitcher filters are generally NOT effective against chromium-6. Look for filters certified by NSF International against NSF/ANSI 58 (for RO systems).

More contaminants