ALLEGAN COUNTY -
Clean, safe drinking water is something most of us take for granted.
But that's not the case for some residents in West Michigan.
Residents near the Birds Eye Foods plant in Fennville have been dealing with water problems for years without much relief.
This matter gained attention when Erin Brockovich came to West Michigan back in April.
Her law firm, famous for handing contamination cases, is investigating the Fennville claims and while the state has ordered Birds Eye to provide bottled water to residents, the issue is far from over.
State-ordered bottled water is delivered once a month to certain homes in Clyde Township.
John Dekker's lived there about six years. He uses the bottled water because his well is tainted.
At least two miles of ground water is contaminated, affecting more than 50 homeowners.
Birds Eye has sprayed fields nearby with wastewater from its plant for years: a sugar and salt-laden organic matter that strips the soil of oxygen, releasing iron, arsenic, and manganese into the groundwater.
The state began investigating the matter in 2004 after receiving complaints. Later, the DEQ forced the company to provide bottled water to the residents. But not much has changed since then.
Kari Craton is another one of the residents getting bottled water. Still, she says she felt helpless, so she called environmental activist Erin Brockovich, hoping her law office could put some pressure on Birds Eye.
"To put in their own treatment plant and contain the contamination and draw it back to their own property," said Craton.
So Brockovich sent an environmental investigator.
Bob Bowcock flew in from California to take groundwater samples and has questions about the scope of the contamination.
"You've got two homes on one side of the street and two homes on the other side of the street that are receiving water," said Bowcock. "Nobody in the middle has been tested or is receiving water."
He believes the plume of contamination is moving and soon more homes could be affected.
"Until Birds Eye actually stops the land application," said Bowcock. "The plume's going to continue to migrate."
And that worries neighbors like Debbie Wieland. She doesn't get the bottled water from Birds Eye even though she lives right next door to homes that do.
That's because her home originally tested "clean."
"I would like the get the water because I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow," said Wieland. "It could be bad today, because it was tested two years ago."
The company wouldn't do an on-camera interview but they did issue a statement to us about their plans for a new $3 million water treatment plant, saying,
"We would like to begin construction of this major improvement as soon as possible, but we cannot proceed until we receive the required approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on the construction project."
The DEQ says Birds Eye still hasn't applied for the proper permits. Meanwhile the two groups are still working out what Birds Eye may have to pay for any violations. That could take another couple of years.
The state government is another source of frustration for residents.
They say the DEQ gave Birds Eye the permit to spray the wastewater in the first place, something they're still allowed to do, even though the DEQ now says it may not have been the best approach.
"It's simply a matter of science evolving, and telling us things that we didn't know years ago," said DEQ Spokesman Bob McCann.
The City of Fennville is working with Birds Eye on a solution: extending city water out to the contaminated homes.
But Birds Eye won't pay the $4 million for the water main. That money will have to come from federal stimulus money.
Erin Brockovich's people still don't have complete water testing results in Fennville, but hope to have answers in a few weeks.
So far, their research indicates more people should be getting bottled water.
But that's not the case for some residents in West Michigan.
Residents near the Birds Eye Foods plant in Fennville have been dealing with water problems for years without much relief.
This matter gained attention when Erin Brockovich came to West Michigan back in April.
Her law firm, famous for handing contamination cases, is investigating the Fennville claims and while the state has ordered Birds Eye to provide bottled water to residents, the issue is far from over.
State-ordered bottled water is delivered once a month to certain homes in Clyde Township.
John Dekker's lived there about six years. He uses the bottled water because his well is tainted.
At least two miles of ground water is contaminated, affecting more than 50 homeowners.
Birds Eye has sprayed fields nearby with wastewater from its plant for years: a sugar and salt-laden organic matter that strips the soil of oxygen, releasing iron, arsenic, and manganese into the groundwater.
The state began investigating the matter in 2004 after receiving complaints. Later, the DEQ forced the company to provide bottled water to the residents. But not much has changed since then.
Kari Craton is another one of the residents getting bottled water. Still, she says she felt helpless, so she called environmental activist Erin Brockovich, hoping her law office could put some pressure on Birds Eye.
"To put in their own treatment plant and contain the contamination and draw it back to their own property," said Craton.
So Brockovich sent an environmental investigator.
Bob Bowcock flew in from California to take groundwater samples and has questions about the scope of the contamination.
"You've got two homes on one side of the street and two homes on the other side of the street that are receiving water," said Bowcock. "Nobody in the middle has been tested or is receiving water."
He believes the plume of contamination is moving and soon more homes could be affected.
"Until Birds Eye actually stops the land application," said Bowcock. "The plume's going to continue to migrate."
And that worries neighbors like Debbie Wieland. She doesn't get the bottled water from Birds Eye even though she lives right next door to homes that do.
That's because her home originally tested "clean."
"I would like the get the water because I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow," said Wieland. "It could be bad today, because it was tested two years ago."
The company wouldn't do an on-camera interview but they did issue a statement to us about their plans for a new $3 million water treatment plant, saying,
"We would like to begin construction of this major improvement as soon as possible, but we cannot proceed until we receive the required approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on the construction project."
The DEQ says Birds Eye still hasn't applied for the proper permits. Meanwhile the two groups are still working out what Birds Eye may have to pay for any violations. That could take another couple of years.
The state government is another source of frustration for residents.
They say the DEQ gave Birds Eye the permit to spray the wastewater in the first place, something they're still allowed to do, even though the DEQ now says it may not have been the best approach.
"It's simply a matter of science evolving, and telling us things that we didn't know years ago," said DEQ Spokesman Bob McCann.
The City of Fennville is working with Birds Eye on a solution: extending city water out to the contaminated homes.
But Birds Eye won't pay the $4 million for the water main. That money will have to come from federal stimulus money.
Erin Brockovich's people still don't have complete water testing results in Fennville, but hope to have answers in a few weeks.
So far, their research indicates more people should be getting bottled water.
