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Residents demand faster testing, bottled water and repairs after PFAS show up in Tiverton wells
Summary
Residents at a Tiverton public meeting pressed state and town officials for quicker testing, clearer notice and short-term water fixes after DEM reported PFAS exceedances in private wells; DEM said it will fund point-of-use treatment and pursue long-term water-line extensions.
At a packed Tiverton Town Council meeting, residents pressed state Department of Environmental Management officials for faster testing and better town outreach after private-well sampling found levels of PFAS above state drinking-water standards.
"She told us that our well was contaminated and that we needed to stop consuming the water," Michelle Reffert told the council, summarizing the voicemail she received from DEM staff after a May sample showed contamination. Reffert said she and neighbors were left anxious and uncertain about next steps and criticized town communications for not reaching affected households sooner (Michelle Reffert, 19 Cala Ave).
DEM officials said the state and partners will cover immediate short-term remediation and pursue a long-term extension of public water. "The first short-term action is we are going to pay for point-of-use treatment systems in any homeowner that has contamination that wants that system," the DEM director told the council, and staff said they had begun pre-installation evaluations with residents. DEM also named Kirsten Nunn as the project lead residents should contact for sampling and follow-up.
Councilors and residents raised concerns about lab turnarounds, costs of private tests (DEM staff said a PFAS panel runs roughly $200, though the health department sets final pricing), and how widely contamination might extend. Director-level DEM staff said sampling began in mid-May, initial results arrived in mid-June, and the agency is prioritizing testing near suspected sources while mapping deeper connectivity to determine whether plumes extend farther. DEM said it will host a public technical meeting with the health department to answer property-level questions and coordinate follow-up sampling requests.
Several residents recounted the emotional and economic consequences of the notices: one speaker said her household had already installed a point-of-use system and remained fearful of drinking water until follow-up tests confirm effectiveness. Council leadership committed to pressing state partners to expedite lab capacity and to helping coordinate access to bottled water or other short-term supplies where needed.
The council asked DEM to return with a clear timeline for future sampling, a public meeting schedule, and contact points so residents in other neighborhoods can request testing. DEM said it will fund both the short-term filtration systems and efforts to secure federal/state infrastructure funds for long-term water-line solutions.
