Tiverton administrator: elevated PFAS found near Crandall Road; town will open emergency water station

The town administrator reported that state environmental and public‑health teams detected elevated PFAS in a well at Victory Church on Crandall Road and subsequently began notifying nearby residents to have private wells tested. The administrator said the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Department of Health conducted the initial testing and that the town first engaged with those agencies in early July.

Why it matters: PFAS are a class of persistent contaminants linked to health risks at high levels. Residents told the council they were alarmed and confused by door‑hanger notices and inconsistent messaging from state contractors.

What the town is doing: The administrator said the town is working with DEM, RIDOH and North Tiverton Water and that immediate, interim steps include a public water fill station at Fire Station 3. “We are going to create a public water source at Station 3 with an outside spigot, which with a water filter ... any resident that is impacted can come and fill containers of drinking water for free,” the town administrator said. He also urged residents to call the number in the joint press release and to request a DEM no‑cost water test; he warned that results take about three to four weeks.

Questions and gaps raised: Councilors and residents pressed whether other parts of town were at risk. The administrator repeated DEM’s screening threshold—20 parts per trillion—and said anyone served by public water, such as North Tiverton Water, would not be affected under the current test levels. Several councilors criticized DEM’s communications, saying residents received door hangers and inconsistent phone responses from contractors; the administrator said he has asked DEM for a community meeting within 30 days and that he has escalated concerns with the DEM director and the governor’s office.

Background and next steps: The town has authorized expedited permits for state‑supplied filtration units and will assist residents in obtaining them; the administrator said private filtration orders are currently delayed six to eight weeks. The town will continue coordinating sampling, including taking samples from fire‑station wells once they are made accessible. Residents with questions were given a DEM contact in the press release ((401) 537‑4357) and the town administrator’s office phone number for follow‑up.

The council accepted the administrator’s update and moved on to the scheduled public hearings on charter amendments. The PFAS matter remained an open issue the town said it would continue to address publicly and at follow‑up meetings.