CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Golden Eagle restaurant was awarded $50,000 by MassDEP that will be utilized for testing and installation of a new drinking water well on the property.

 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded more than $1 million in grants to 21 small public water suppliers to support their efforts to address elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The grant program, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), is intended to pay for or reimburse long-term actions to address PFAS, such as construction of treatment systems or connection to an uncontaminated water supply. MassDEP is awarding funding to small public water suppliers who provide drinking water to fewer than 3,300 users. 

 

The grant recipients include condominium associations, schools, churches, businesses, and public buildings.

 

"PFAS poses a significant threat to public health and the environment, and our communities have been working extremely hard to keep our drinking water safe from these toxic chemicals," said Governor Maura Healey. "This grant funding will help our small public water suppliers by providing the financial support needed to put the right treatment systems in place so all residents can access clean water."

 

PFAS chemicals are a family of chemicals widely used since the 1950s to manufacture common consumer products and used in some legacy fire-fighting foams. Drinking water may become contaminated if PFAS deposited onto the soil seeps into groundwater or surface water. PFAS have been linked to a variety of health risks, particularly in women who are pregnant or nursing, and in infants. In October of 2020, MassDEP finalized a protective standard of 20 parts-per-trillion (ppt) for PFAS in drinking water, as well as cleanup standards for soil and groundwater.

 

"Removing PFAS from our drinking water is one of the great environmental challenges of our time," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "Providing this funding helps to build on the aggressive action we are taking in Massachusetts to protect the public and the environment from the harmful impacts of PFAS. Working closely with communities dealing with PFAS is essential to eliminating these contaminants, and these grants will help the impacted entities respond immediately to PFAS contamination by providing safe drinking water."

 

All community public water systems are required to test for "PFAS6" (the sum of six PFAS substances). If found above the state standard, water systems are required to eliminate or minimize the threat to public health by turning off a contaminated water source, connecting to a neighboring water supply, or taking other steps to ensure that clean drinking water is available to all system users.

 

To help ensure the safety of drinking water around the Commonwealth, $28.4 million was secured in two recent 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. $8.4 million of the funding supported a statewide sampling program for public water supplies and private wells. Conducting statewide testing of drinking water for PFAS provided the data to support MassDEP's strategy for treatment and mitigation of this emerging contaminant. This additional $1.05 million in state funds will further address the needs of small public water systems with PFAS6 concentrations exceeding MassDEP's drinking water Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). These systems are required to eliminate or minimize the threat to public health by providing treatment, connecting to a neighboring water supply, or taking other steps to ensure that clean drinking water is available to all system users.