Lab director says PFAS testing and other sample volumes have grown; freshwater testing costs not covered by state

Dan White, laboratory director for Barnstable County's Health & Environment Department, told delegates on March 23 that the county's water-quality lab has seen substantial testing activity this fiscal year and that PFAS samples represent a significant portion of that work.

"We were projecting 1,100,000 revenue," White said, adding later, "We're already at, 968,000," and noting seasonal increases ahead. He gave a specific tally for PFAS: "We've taken in 703, PFAS samples. That's a revenue that $260 a sample, that's a revenue of a $186,000," and mentioned additional field blanks charged at $150 each.

Committee members pressed the lab on who pays for different kinds of sampling. Administrator Michael Dutton and White explained the lab conducts saltwater beach sampling and receives partial state reimbursement (about $35 per sample), but said there is currently no state mechanism to reimburse freshwater sampling and that the county is "eating the cost" for those analyses. White and director Jay Gardner also said the assistant lab director position added last year was necessary to preserve certification and provide quality control as the lab expands.

The committee discussed equipment needs as well. White said demand for total organic carbon (TOC) analysis is highly variable—one year can produce hundreds of samples, another only a few dozen—so replacing equipment and service-contract decisions depend on future grant-driven projects and sample volumes.

Members said they viewed the lab's growth as meeting a clear public need for water-quality testing while asking department leaders to continue reporting on revenue, staffing and reimbursement strategies.