MassDEP, UMass expand Water Smart pilot and offer $50,000 implementation assistance to small systems

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and UMass Amherst described technical-assistance programs to help public water systems meet Lead and Copper Rule Improvements requirements, including a small-system implementation assistance award of up to $50,000 and a Water Smart pilot that provides free, comprehensive school and child care testing and outreach support.

Hannah Parsons, an assistance provider at UMass Amherst working with MassDEP’s drinking water program, said MassDEP contracted Comprehensive Environmental, Inc. to provide up to $50,000 per eligible public water system to support implementing a lead service line replacement plan. She said eligible systems must be small (serving ≤3,300 people), located in a disadvantaged community as defined by the Trust, have at least one lead or galvanized service line requiring replacement or unknown lines, and have submitted a replacement plan to MassDEP.

Water Smart pilot: Parsons said MassDEP and UMass offer a Water Smart program that performs comprehensive testing of fixtures used for drinking and cooking in schools and licensed child care facilities and covers laboratory costs. The pilot for public water systems helps PWS conduct outreach and testing in their service areas; participating systems that complete pilot testing will be eligible for a waiver from some LCRI school/child care testing requirements following the rule’s implementation.

Program responsibilities and benefits: MassDEP and UMass compile facility contact lists, provide English and Spanish outreach templates, create or update facility sampling plans, and provide technical-assistance providers to review results and recommend remediation. The program posts results to the state data portal. Participating PWS are asked to confirm the contact list, conduct two outreach attempts (initial and a 30–60 day follow-up), and generally collect and ship samples to contract laboratories; for smaller facilities a TA provider or facility staff may collect samples. Parsons said documented refusals may be counted toward the annual 20% sampling offer requirement if properly recorded.

Practical notes: Parsons and Maple said the presenters can provide lists of schools and child care facilities that have signed up so PWS do not duplicate outreach, and that MassDEP will publish Q&A material and resources after the webinar. They advised systems that participation does not force a facility to test: schools and child care facilities may decline the offer and the PWS must document refusals.