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Groveland updates PFAS treatment-plant timeline, seeks permits and funding
Summary
Superintendent told the Groveland board the PFAS treatment-plant project has cleared several reviews, is coordinating with MassDEP and Haverhill on residuals, and has a tentative 2029 startup; the board discussed funding options including a new Build for Massachusetts loan program and a grant-writer meeting.
Groveland's superintendent told the water board the town is advancing a PFAS treatment-plant project and expects the new facility to be online in phases through 2029. The update covered design milestones, permitting steps and efforts to line up financing.
The superintendent said the town must remove iron and manganese before PFAS extraction because those minerals foul the extraction process. "To get rid of them, we have to get rid of the iron and manganese first because it fouls up the extraction process," the superintendent said, and described the tentative startup schedule with intermittent, limited occurrences of rust-colored water until the plant is fully operational.
Permitting progress includes a passed Conservation Commission review and an expected MassDEP submission. The project team reported a 75% design milestone due on the 31st and said Weston & Sampson and Apex are participating in peer review. The board is coordinating with Haverhill to determine whether Haverhill will accept concentrated residuals from the treatment process; that acceptance affects whether recycled water can be returned to the system.
Staff also flagged a new state financing opportunity called "Build for Massachusetts," a low-interest loan program for utilities and green projects; staff signed up to receive updates and said they would pursue green components (solar and other energy-efficient elements) that could improve the town's eligibility for funding. The superintendent said a grant-writing specialist would meet with staff to explore options.
The board discussed whether the town can run a pilot program and noted a vendor (Invicta) had signed a funding agreement with a venture-capital firm tied to Ross Perot Jr., which may help advance piloting. The superintendent said the town will continue to coordinate with consultants and forward design documents to the board as they arrive.
The update included operational and permitting caveats: MassDOT permits may be needed for work in state right-of-way; MassDEP review is ongoing; and the town is finalizing arrangements with outside towns and vendors for residuals handling. Board members were invited to attend project-management meetings one at a time to avoid open-meeting-law conflicts; minutes from those sessions will be shared with the broader board.
Next steps: staff will submit materials to MassDEP, continue periodic design reviews, finalize the Haverhill residuals agreement if feasible, and explore state financing and grant options. The superintendent said staff will provide design updates as they become available.
