Natick To Study Water Contaminant With $135K State Grant

NATICK, MA — Natick has been awarded a state grant to study ways to mitigate a chemical contaminant that has only recently been recognized as a potential health hazard in Massachusetts.

The town was notified of the $135,000 state Department of Environmental Protection grant last week. The money comes from a fund set up by Gov. Charlie Baker last May to address potential polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination across the state.

In October, the state released new standards for PFAS contamination in drinking water supplies. Any water source that contains more than 20 nanograms per liter of six PFAS compounds is considered above the acceptable limit.

Natick began testing the town water sources for PFAS in November and December, and at least one treatment plant, Springvale H&T, is above the state threshold.

"In our initial testing, all of our five water treatment plants have shown the presence of PFAS, but the results indicate that only one of our four active treatment plants is above the MassDEP drinking water regulatory limit of 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for six PFAS compounds (known as PFAS6)," according to the town's PFAS website.

The town has begun reducing its reliance on Springvale H&T. The Elm Bank treatment plant, which has the lowest PFAS levels, is being used as the town's primary water source.

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades in household and industrial applications, including on nonstick pans and waterproof fabrics, and in foam used to fight fires. The chemicals can build up in the body over time, and may cause cancer, thyroid disease and birth defects, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. There are multiple ways to treat water to remove PFAS, according to the EPA.