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Battle Creek reports elevated TTHMs in portions of its water system; corrective actions underway
Summary
City officials said November 2025 testing shows total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) exceed federal drinking-water standards in the Battle Creek system serving the city and Emmett Township; officials said treatment and operational adjustments are ongoing and mailed notices were sent to affected customers.
Mayor Mark Behnke told residents that recent quarterly drinking-water testing completed in November 2025 showed elevated levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in portions of the system that serve Battle Creek and Emmett Township.
"Our results show that the TTHMs continue to exceed federal drinking water standards in the water system serving the City Of Battle Creek and Emmet Township," Behnke said. He noted that individual sample results vary by location: Springfield samples remain below the federal standard while results in other areas remain above the regulatory limit.
Behnke said treatment and operational adjustments are underway to reduce levels. He added that impacted neighborhoods should have received a mailed public-notice letter with details on the most recent test results and the corrective actions and that the public notice letter is available on battlecreekmi.gov (select I want → view → annual water quality reports).
Customers in limited areas of Penfield Township and certain customers in Springfield who receive water from Battle Creek were named as recipients of the notice. The mayor said Emmett Township is included in Battle Creek's corrective action program. No specific timeline or numerical annual-average values were given in the report.
