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PCB contamination found at West Parish Water Plant; officials say drinking water remains safe
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Summary
Springfield City officials told a committee April 17 that PCB-containing caulk was found during preconstruction work at the West Parish Water Plant. Officials said drinking-water delivery is unaffected, sampling with EPA and MassDEP is underway, and project schedule and disposal costs may be affected.
Springfield City officials said on April 17 that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were detected in construction materials at the West Parish Water Plant during soil removal for a new treatment facility, but they emphasized that public drinking water remains safe.
"We tested the material, and it came back with PCBs," said Josh of the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, who led the technical briefing for the committee. Officials said the material appears to be PCB-containing caulk used in construction joints of four slow-sand filter beds built in the 1960s.
The finding was made after contractors removed the 3–4 feet of soil that covered subterranean filter structures to allow demolition. Commission staff said the contractor sampled exposed material and that initial tests returned a positive PCB result, prompting required regulatory notifications.
Why it matters: PCBs are a banned class of industrial chemicals associated with health risks; the discovery complicates demolition and disposal for a multi-million-dollar project intended to improve water quality. Commission staff said categorizing and disposing of large quantities of excavated material could materially affect cost and schedule depending on how much soil and concrete are classified as contaminated.
Officials outlined next steps: the commission is developing a sampling plan that must be approved by EPA Region 1 and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). "That sampling plan could be hundreds or even thousands of samples," Josh said; analysis and mitigation planning, he said, will take several months.
On service and safety: Commission staff repeatedly told the committee that the affected slow-sand filters have been out of routine service for years and that the system is relying primarily on the rapid-sand plant. "The water is 100% drinkable," Josh said. Chair Spencer Castro added, "Do not be afraid to drink the water."
On timing and cost: staff said the commission has secured a large competitive loan and state funding for the treatment-plant project. Officials said they received a $250,000,000 competitive loan and that remaining program costs are north of $100,000,000; the final project total will include engineering and other expenses and will be clearer after sampling and mitigation options are developed. Staff declined to provide speculative rate impacts and said any effect on customers will depend on the final mitigation and disposal strategy.
Public questions and technical context: Councilors and residents asked how the new plant will affect disinfection byproducts (HAA5) and whether the new filtration will reduce the need for higher chlorine doses. Commission staff said the new treatment process will remove organics that react with chlorine to form those byproducts, improving distribution water quality once online.
Regulatory coordination and disposal choices will determine costs: staff said how material is classified will drive disposal location and price—clean material and PCB-contaminated material must go to different facilities, and costs vary widely. That uncertainty is the main reason the commission is building a comprehensive sampling plan rather than rushing decisions.
The committee did not take formal action at the meeting. Officials said they will continue coordinating with EPA and MassDEP, complete the approved sampling plan, and return with findings and cost/schedule impacts when analysis is complete.
