Community News

06/27/16: 2016 Household Hazardous Waste Collection will occur free of charge on Wednesday, September 21, 2016. For more information, please view this flyer.

01/31/16: Lead in Drinking Water  With lead levels in Flint's water supply receiving national attention, this is a good time to talk about the water supply here in the city of Clare.  Before you read any further, I want to assure you that Clare's water supply is safe and does not have the lead issues that Flint is presently dealing with.  Over the years the uses for lead have been numerous.  For example, lead has been used in paint, gasoline, batteries, fishing equipment, and as a protective shield when receiving x-rays; the list goes on and on.  The history of using lead in the water industry goes back to the Roman Empire.  The Romans used lead for water pipes and as a material in their cooking pots and pans.  In more recent years lead was used in solder to join copper pipes together and used for service lines that would carry water from the water mains in to your home.  Manufacturers also used lead for the manufacturing of plumbing fixtures.  We now know the pitfalls and dangers of lead.  Lead is a toxin that causes both immediate and long term health problems, especially in children.  So what are we doing to fix the problem?  The city adds polyphosphates to our water for corrosion control. Polyphosphates line the water mains in our distribution system and within the pipes of our homes. This stops the lead from leaching into the water.  Spring and fall hydrant flushing also helps prevent lead from leaching into our water.  In 2014, the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act was implemented.  This Act specifies that materials used in the distribution of water may not contain more than .25% lead.  You will be relieved to know 100% of our water samples that were tested for lead this past June (2015) were all under the maximum contaminate level of 15 parts per billion. For more information, or if you have any questions please call or email Dale Clark, Director of Water Treatment for the City of Clare, at (989) 386-2321 or dclark@cityofclare.org.