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Cohasset water officials report TTHM exceedance; MassDEP guidance and long-term plant upgrades discussed
Summary
Water Department chair Chris Pratt and consultants from Woodard & Curran updated the Select Board on a TTHM exceedance in Lily Pond, saying current mitigation should eventually reduce levels but modernizing the treatment plant is the long-term solution.
Cohasset water officials told the Select Board on Jan. 6 that routine testing has identified a Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) exceedance tied to chlorine reacting with natural organic matter in Lily Pond and outlined short- and long-term responses.
Chris Pratt, chair of the Water Department, and consultants Jonathon Loja and Daniel Wojcik of engineering firm Woodard & Curran explained that TTHMs are disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine interacts with organic matter in source water. They said state regulators (Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection) base their guidance on long-term exposure and do not recommend bottled water or alternate supplies as a blanket remedy. Presenters said the town has implemented a mitigation plan; however, improvements to TTHM measurements may not be immediate. They stated that modernizing the water treatment plant is the definitive fix to prevent future exceedances.
Why it matters: TTHM exceedances are regulated because of potential health concerns with long-term exposure; the town's mitigation steps and a planned treatment-plant upgrade affect water quality, regulatory compliance and future capital planning. The meeting minutes list supporting documents including a PFAS letter, PFAS agreement and a TTHM PowerPoint presentation.
Board direction and next steps: Officials indicated ongoing mitigation, monitoring and that a plant modernization project will be required to address the underlying issue. No formal vote was recorded on this item during the Jan. 6 meeting.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 005 (PFAS/TTHM presentation begins) — topfinish SEG 006 (modernization and mitigation discussion).
