Drinking water in Macomb County's New Baltimore and Mount Clemens has tested positive for contamination, according to notices issued by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality this week.

The contamination, currently at levels that aren't believed to pose any significant danger, is related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or PFCs, described as the MDEQ as "a suite of chemicals historically used in thousands of applications throughout the industrial, food, and textile industries."

Letters notifying the communities of the presence of PFAS were issued on March 2, describing the results of water tests conducted on groundwater and treated drinking water in January.

"I want to assure the residents of the city that their water is safe to drink and that a boil water advisory has not been issued as there is no need" New Baltimore Mayor John Dupray said in a statement issued Friday. "I will be attending a meeting with the MDEQ early next week to discuss this issue in greater detail. We strive to provide the highest quality water possible and will continue to do so."

The exact source of the contamination was unknown, but believed to have originated in Lake St. Clair.

Ira Township in St. Clair County has also been notified of the presence of PFAS in its drinking water.

The localities are near Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which has been testing for PFAS contamination related to past use of AFFF firefighting foam.

PFAS was detected in 2017 surface water samples from the Clinton River near the base.

See the individual test results for the respective communities below:

New Baltimore

Mount Clemens

Ira Township

Gov. Rick Snyder in December announced the state would devote $23.2 million to combating PFAS contamination.

There are currently no established acceptable levels or regulatory limits for PFAS in drinking water.

"This lack of scientifically based, decision making criteria presents challenges for public water utilities that detect these chemicals in their water supply," says the MDEQ. "Scientists have found PFOA and PFOS in the blood of nearly all the people they tested, but these studies show that the levels of PFOA and PFOS in blood have been decreasing.

"While consumer products and food are a large source of exposure to these chemicals for most people, drinking water can be an additional source in the small percentage of communities where these chemicals have contaminated water supplies."

Other Michigan municipal systems with confirmed PFAS detections include Plainfield Township, the Saginaw-Midland Corp., Huron Shores Regional Water Authority (HSRWA) system in Tawas, Ann Arbor, Grayling and the village of Sparta.

According to Centers for Disease Control, "PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, some firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil."

Possible health risks, as cited by the CDC, include: