Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A local company and its president have been charged with falsifying water safety tests at mobile home communities in the WHMI listening area and across the state.

Douglas Environmental and its president, 57-year-old Brian Powell of Brighton, allegedly falsified water safety and water discharge tests for private water systems serving mobile home communities across the state.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel made the announcement, saying they were arraigned this week in the 53rd District Court in Howell.

Douglas Environmental has been charged with one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony, and six counts of Forgery, each a 14-year felony.

Powell has been charged with six counts of Forgery and seven counts of Safe Drinking Water Violations, each a 1-year misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine per day of violation.
Douglas Environmental provided private water services to mobile home communities throughout Michigan.

Private water service providers are required to submit regular water testing to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). If contaminant levels exceed maximum contaminant levels set by statute and administrative rule, providers are required to immediately notify EGLE. Powell was allegedly solely responsible for reporting Douglas Environmental test results to EGLE.

The Department says on at least six occasions in 2023, Douglas Environmental by and through Powell allegedly falsified water test results in water systems serving Moon Lake Mobile Home Park in Shiawassee County, Thornapple Lake Estates in Barry County, and Fenton Harbor Condominiums in Genesee County.

Powell is further accused of failing to report water tests that exceeded maximum contaminant levels between 2020 and 2023 at Hickory Hills Mobile Homes in Calhoun County, Green Brook Estates in Livingston County, North Bay Mobile Home Park in Genesee County, Fenton Harbor in Genesee County, Victory Gardens in Genesee County, and Western Pines in Kalamazoo County.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Law Enforcement Division and the Environmental Crime Unit following an EGLE administrative review that found alleged data discrepancies between what was reported and what they had received from Douglas Environmental.

Based on testing by EGLE, the public was not harmed in this alleged scheme.

Attorney General Nessel commented “Safe drinking water relies on honest testing. Falsifying reports jeopardizes the well-being of residents, and I am grateful for EGLE’s and DNR’s work to uncover and investigate these extremely troubling allegations. My office will continue to prosecute those who put Michiganders’ health at risk.”

EGLE Director Phil Roos said “Ensuring the safety of Michigan’s drinking water is fundamental to protecting public health, and that starts with accurate, reliable data. It’s deeply disappointing when individuals choose to falsify test results, they undermine the trust that communities place in the systems designed to safeguard them. Michigan residents deserve complete confidence that the water they rely on is safe.”

Powell is due back in court May 5th.