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Selectman: PFAS pilot treatment system activated; rigorous one‑year testing to follow
Summary
Selectman Gil told the March 5 school committee that Massachusetts Department inspectors approved activation of a PFAS treatment pilot; baseline samples were submitted and the system began operating Feb. 25, and bottled water will be provided through the pilot period.
Selectman Gil told the school committee on March 5 that a pilot PFAS treatment system passed a final inspection by the Massachusetts regulator on Feb. 17 and began operating Feb. 25, launching a yearlong testing program that will produce a pilot study report and subsequent permit applications if performance targets are met.
Gil said the district included the regulator’s Feb. 20 letter in the meeting packet and highlighted that, if the treatment system fails to meet objectives, the system will be redesigned and re‑permitted — a contingency the district can cover with a $1 million grant already secured.
Testing protocols: Gil said baseline samples were submitted for analysis and the district expects initial results in approximately two weeks; baseline sampling will combine bulk and well water to create a conservative baseline, with subsequent samples that are 100% well water. Lab testing will follow MassDEP‑certified methods, including EPA Method 537.1 and EPA 533 for PFAS compounds, and all contaminants within the methods’ scopes will be reported.
Short‑term protections: regardless of pilot progress, Gil reminded the committee that bottled water for drinking and cooking will be supplied through the end of the school year; he recommended the committee consider extending provision into the next school year while the yearlong pilot proceeds.
Why it matters: the pilot is a one‑year, regulator‑monitored test of a PFAS treatment approach. If testing shows the system meets regulatory objectives, the district will submit the pilot study report and permit documents to MassDEP for review and long‑term approval. The committee thanked Gil and the engineering team named McClure (as spoken) for their follow‑up with regulators during installation and inspection.
