Warren, Michigan’s Home for
Water Softeners, Water Filters,
& Water Delivery

Yes. Every contaminant listed in Warren’s most recent water quality report is marked as having no violation. Nitrate measured 0.29 ppm against a 10 ppm limit, and chlorine stayed at a highest running average of 0.95 ppm, under the 4 ppm maximum.

Moderately hard. Tap samples from the Northeast plant’s service area averaged 105 ppm, about 6.1 grains per gallon, and ranged from 96 to 120 ppm. Calcium averaged 26.6 ppm and magnesium 7.7 ppm, the two minerals that make up hardness. That’s enough to leave spots on dishes and a film on shower glass, and to build scale inside water heaters over time.

Some homes may. Warren’s service-line inventory lists 53,803 water services. The city has identified 482 lead service lines and replaced 446 of them, and another 17,500 lines are listed as unknown material, meaning what they’re made of hasn’t been confirmed yet. If you’re not sure about your own line, the city’s inventory is the place to start, and a water test can show whether lead is reaching your tap.

In the most recent round of home sampling, Warren’s 90th percentile lead result was 3 ppb, below Michigan’s 12 ppb action level. Individual results ranged from 0 to 19 ppb, and 2 sampled sites came in above the action level. Copper’s 90th percentile was 0.1 ppm, with no homes above the 1.3 ppm action level. Because lead can also come from older faucets and solder inside a home, an in-home test is a useful check even where the service line isn’t lead.

Warren buys treated surface water from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). Its supply comes from the Detroit River and is treated at GLWA’s Northeast Water Treatment Plant. The city then delivers that water across Michigan’s third-largest city, from established neighborhoods along the Detroit border to the area around the General Motors Technical Center.

GLWA disinfects the water with chlorine and adds orthophosphate to help control corrosion in pipes and household plumbing. Disinfection byproducts form when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in the water; Warren’s most recent report shows total trihalomethanes at a highest running average of 50 ppb (limit 80 ppb) and HAA5 at 20 ppb (limit 60 ppb). Iron averaged 0.2 ppm and pH averaged 7.24.

The most recent water quality report lists PFOA, one of the most widely studied PFAS compounds, at up to 2 parts per trillion, below both Michigan’s 8 ppt limit and the 4 ppt federal limit. No other PFAS compounds are listed in the report. Homeowners who want added peace of mind can reduce PFAS at the kitchen tap with a certified reverse osmosis system.

Yes. Fluoride is added during treatment. The report’s highest regulated result was 0.49 ppm, and its mineral analysis averaged 0.60 ppm, both well below the 4 ppm limit. Sodium measured 5.3 ppm.

It depends on your home. Much of Warren’s housing went up in the decades after World War II, and older pipes, fixtures and water heaters tend to collect scale. With water averaging about 105 ppm (6.1 gpg), a water softener can cut down on spotting and buildup. For drinking water, reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink reduces lead and PFAS, and whole-house filtration can reduce chlorine taste and odor throughout the house. A free in-home water test is the easiest place to start.

You can access the most recent Warren Water Quality Report from the City of Warren here.