Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, MI water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
kalamazoo
groundwater (wells) · local government · PWSID MI0003520
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Kalamazoo, MI is a small but growing city, with a population near 76,041 and the 15th-largest community in Michigan. Like much of Michigan, Kalamazoo draws its water primarily from Great Lakes and inland aquifers.
Kalamazoo's water outlook is shaped most by aging infrastructure — the issue that dominates planning across Michigan. Surrounded by the Great Lakes, Michigan's defining issues are infrastructure trust after the Flint crisis and widespread PFAS sites.
Kalamazoo sits in a state that reuses roughly 3% of treated wastewater (minimal programs) and currently experiences no meaningful drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Michigan state water profile and the related issues below.
Kalamazoo County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~76,041 (15th-largest in Michigan)
- Primary sources: Great Lakes and inland aquifers
- Drought: no meaningful conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Kalamazoo?
Kalamazoo's largest water system, KALAMAZOO, serves about 192,992 people. EPA records show 4 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 5.3 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Kalamazoo get its water?
KALAMAZOO draws primarily from groundwater (wells), part of Michigan's supply from Great Lakes, inland aquifers.
Related water issues
Aging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExplorePFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
ExploreLead Contamination
Millions of lead service lines still connect homes to water mains. After Flint, a national push — backed by new EPA rules — aims to rip them all out.
ExploreAlgal Blooms
Nutrient pollution and warming water are fueling toxic algae outbreaks that can shut down drinking-water intakes — as Toledo learned in 2014.
Explore