Is Lake Lansing Northwest Basin; Meridian Township Polluted?
Yes — Lake Lansing Northwest Basin; Meridian Township in Ingham County, Michigan is on the EPA's Clean Water Act 303(d) impaired-waters list (2024 assessment cycle). It is cited for PFAS. No cleanup plan (TMDL) has been completed yet. "Impaired" is a legal designation, separate from the lake's A–F water-quality grade: it means at least one designated use (such as swimming, aquatic life, or fish consumption) does not meet state standards for the listed pollutant.
EPA 303(d) Listing
| On 303(d) impaired list | Yes |
| Cleanup plan (TMDL) | Not yet written |
| Assessment cycle | 2024 |
| EPA IR category | 5 |
| Location | Ingham County, Michigan |
Pollutants Cited
- PFAS — Per- and polyfluoroalkyl "forever chemicals" from industrial and firefighting-foam sources. PFAS listings are newer and typically trigger fish-consumption and, in some cases, drinking-water guidance.
Specific parameters in the EPA record: PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONATE (PFOS) IN FISH TISSUE.
What this means for using Lake Lansing Northwest Basin; Meridian Township
Lake Lansing Northwest Basin; Meridian Township's listing is driven by contaminants that build up in fish (PFAS), so the practical impact is on eating the fish, not on swimming. Follow the state fish-consumption advisory for Michigan. An impairment listing does not mean the lake is closed — most impaired lakes remain open for boating and swimming. It means a specific pollutant exceeds a standard for a specific use. Lake Lansing Northwest Basin; Meridian Township carries an overall water-quality grade of A, with algae (chlorophyll-a) at 3.8 µg/L — see the full breakdown on the lake report. The official EPA assessment is available in the ATTAINS waterbody report.