Birds Eye reaches Fennville water deal

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Birds Eye and the state of Michigan will pay to pipe clean water from the city of Fennville to homes affected with bad well water in a deal that addresses the environmental issues in the area.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) said the agreement will get safe drinking water to those with bad water.

Birds Eye will also build a new treatment system that will use the wastewater to fertilize farm fields in the summer and flow to Fennville's treatment plant in the winter.

The deal also forces Birds Eye to investigate just how badly its chemicals contaminated the well water, and to do whatever is necessary to fix it.

A public hearing on the proposed discharge permit is set for August 17 at Fennville High School's auditorium.

Birds Eye is still facing a federal lawsuit filed by Erin Brockovich's New York-based law firm on behalf of more than 70 residents.