Yesterday, Mass. officials announced $1,281,450 in funding to help 12 public water suppliers address high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their drinking water.
The funding will help offset the cost of initial responses implemented when the sum of six PFAS substances (PFAS6) exceeds the state standard of 20 parts-per-trillion (ppt). The announced support is the first round of funding for a grant program directed towards PFAS management, and is distributed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
“PFAS is an emerging contaminant of national concern that is known to have widespread health effects,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These grants will provide critical funds needed to assist communities with the emergency and interim measures that must be taken to ensure their residents have drinking water that is safe, clean, and healthy to consume and use.”
MassDEP anticipates offering up to three rounds of funding through the Interim PFAS6 Response Grant Program. Public water supply systems can use the funds to purchase and distribute bottled water, install water vending machines, purchase water and/or establish interconnections to alternative water sources, or take any other immediate action to provide safe drinking water to PFAS6-impacted water users. To assist communities that have already expended funds to address elevated levels of PFAS6, reimbursement is available for eligible costs.
“As public water suppliers test for elevated levels of PFAS, it is imperative that they take the necessary steps to ensure clean drinking water is available to all system users,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “These grants provide water suppliers with considerable flexibility to determine the interim solution that best suits their residents’ needs, while also ensuring the protection of the public health.”
The following public water supply systems that have been awarded PFAS6 grants are:
- Abington and Rockland Joint Water Works – $132,965
The grant will provide the addition of chemicals at the treatment plant serving the communities of Abington and Rockland for temporary PFAS removal. - Barnstable Fire Department Water District – $150,000
The grant will support an interconnection with the Yarmouth water supply for the villages of Barnstable and Cummaquid. - COMM Water Department – $200,000
The grant will support the installation of temporary ion exchange vessels serving the communities of Centerville, Osterville, and Marstons Mills. - Easton DPW Water Department – $50,280
The grant will support a water rebate program and water vending units for the public. - Holbrook Department of Public Works – $67,800
The grant will support the use of water vending units for the public. - Town of Ipswich – $10,040
The grant will fund a portion of the submittal associated with temporary work to extend a water main to provide unimpacted water to the treatment plant. - Town of North Attleborough – $150,000
The grant will support the use of water vending units for the public. - Town of Pepperell – $26,805
The grant will assist with the costs of shutting down a drinking water well impacted by PFAS. - Randolph Department of Public Works – $43,560
The grant will support the use of water vending units for the public. - Sharon Water Department – $150,000
The grant will support the installation of temporary water treatment, as approved by MassDEP. - Wellesley Water Division – $150,000
The grant provides funding for a portion of the water purchased by the town from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. - Town of Wayland – $150,000
The grant provides funding for a portion of the bottled water purchased by the town.
“The safety of our drinking water is of paramount importance, and PFAS is a contaminate that must be closely monitored and remediated,” said Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “This grant program will support public water systems as they continue to address PFAS contamination and work to make our drinking water safe for future generations.”
To support this program, the state has allocated $2 million in operating funds. This funding is in addition to the $28.4 million secured by the state in two supplemental budgets for water infrastructure and PFAS testing. Through the supplemental budget, $20 million was appropriated to the Commonwealth’s Clean Water Trust, providing financing that can be used by communities to address contamination issues.
More than $8.4 million of this funding supports a statewide sampling program for public water supplies and private wells, including a grant program to support design of PFAS treatment. Conducting statewide testing of drinking water for PFAS is providing the data to support MassDEP’s strategy for treatment and mitigation of this emerging contaminant. In September 2020, the Administration announced the first round of grants to support design of PFAS treatment, awarding $1.9 million to 10 public water supply systems, and announced a second round in March 2021, awarding $3 million to 17 public water supply systems.
In 2019, Mass. announced a protective standard of 20 ppt for PFAS in drinking water and required water systems to regularly test for the contaminants. There are currently no federal PFAS standards for drinking water.
All community public water systems are required to test for PFAS6. Large public water supplies, those serving a population of 50,000 or more, were required to begin their initial PFAS6 tests as of January 1, 2021. Public water supplies serving populations between 10,000 and 50,000 began initial tests April 1, 2021, and those serving a population of less than 10,000 began testing on October 1, 2021.
