Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the PFAS Water Quality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board seeks closer coordination on PFAS in Lakeshore wells; staff report beach sampling, disease counts and tobacco compliance
Summary
Board members pressed for regular coordination with the Select Board on PFAS at Lakeshore Drive after some readings exceeded 4 ppt; staff reported routine bathing‑beach sampling, one COVID case in the last reporting period, other tick‑borne disease reports, tobacco inspections in compliance and an overall SAFE 2.0 score of 87%.
Duxbury health and elected officials on June 18 discussed PFAS concerns tied to Lakeshore Drive and broader town efforts to reduce contaminants in drinking water while public‑health staff provided routine surveillance and program updates.
A Safe Water Committee member urged the Board of Health to prompt the Select Board to hold additional meetings on PFAS and water issues around Lakeshore Drive and asked that residents be notified. Select Board member Bridal Glennon said the Select Board adopted fiscal‑year goals that include strengthening coordination with the Board of Health on PFAS and water quality and proposed potentially quarterly joint meetings to work through the issue.
Officials noted some sampling results from wells that exceeded 4 parts per trillion (ppt). Staff explained that the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) enforcement posture currently leaves the 4‑ppt benchmark non‑enforceable in some respects and that the town is still working under a 20‑ppt standard for formal enforcement actions. Staff said they will continue sampling and work with the water superintendent to determine whether additional consumer‑level notification or a well shutdown is required; shutting the Lakeshore well was discussed as a short‑term supply option if necessary during peak summer demand.
Public‑health staff (Lauren) also reported disease surveillance numbers for May–June: one COVID‑19 case among adults, eight probable or suspected Lyme disease cases, three babesiosis, two influenza cases, four cases of anaplasmosis (human granulocytic anaplasmosis), one hepatitis B case and two salmonella cases. Lauren said she began bathing‑beach sampling the prior week and experienced one exceedance that resolved on resampling; the town maintains one allowed resample before closure. Tobacco compliance inspections were all in compliance, and the town’s SAFE 2.0 public‑health self‑assessment score was 87%.
Melissa, an expert on the call, cautioned that only a few consumer water filters are certified for PFAS removal and said “we want to approach that carefully” when discussing distribution of filters as a temporary mitigation.
Provenance: the PFAS/water coordination conversation appears from SEG 1006 through SEG 1315; public‑health updates ran from SEG 1316 through SEG 1515.
