Wayland Aims For To Have PFAS Contamination Fix By July

WAYLAND, MA — Town officials are aiming to have a short-term fix for PFAS contamination in place by the middle of summer, according to Town Administrator Louise Miller.

Town Meeting on Saturday approved funding for the short-term fix, which will entail shutting down one of three wells at the Happy Hollow well field — which supplies about half the town's drinking water — and treating a second well. The treated water will be blended with water from a third well.

Town officials believe that solution will reduce levels of PFAS in the water below the state threshold.

The state Department of Environmental Quality in October instituted a PFAS limit of 20 nanograms per liter (ng/l) of the six PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) of water. The Happy Hollow well has tested at close to 30 ng/l in recent months.

The town hasn't finalized the cost of the short-term fix, but Miller said it could be $250,000 to start and about $10,000 per-month after that. Wayland is hoping to secure state approval for the short-term fix by the end of May, and then have the system running by mid-July. The town will also have to come up with a long-term fix at some point in the future.

Also this week, Wayland will stop distribution bottled water. The town had been giving bottles to groups most at-risk from PFAS contamination — including pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems — but wants to move toward more sustainable water dispensing stations. Wayland will also begin offering water bill rebates to at-risk residents.

"The town is exploring offering water refill stations so that residents are able to self-serve in their own reusable water containers. This program would be available to all residents," Miller said in a statement, noting that more information will be available in the upcoming week.