GROVELAND – Superintendent Colin Stokes, the Groveland Water and Sewer Department, and the Board of Water Commissioners would like to share information about a proposed water treatment facility for the Town of Groveland.
Groveland Water and Sewer is proactively researching options to ensure that the town meets the new regulation guidelines proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Once the new regulations are accepted by the State, Groveland will be expected to take immediate action. One option that Groveland Water is considering is building a water treatment facility.
A potential water treatment facility would have to be built in a centralized location, and include a filtration system, drainage location for storm run-off, and other mechanical aspects that are in line with state and federal regulations. The filtration plant would potentially be located at the Pines near the current Well #3, on land that is already under the control of the Water and Sewer Commissioners.
The proposed water treatment facility would need to be approved by MassDEP before construction. The expected cost if the project were approved is approximately $22 million for initial construction and associated piping. Water and Sewer projects are paid for exclusively through water and sewer bill collections. The department is actively looking at grant funding and the State Revolving Fund, which is a low or zero-percent interest program specifically set aside for water projects.
The proposed water treatment facility would reduce the amount of PFAS in the water to nondetectable levels, meeting not only existing standards and the expected water quality regulation changes from EPA. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man-made and do not break down quickly, and federal and state guidelines are rapidly evolving to reduce PFAS in public drinking supplies nationwide.
The current regulations for PFAS public drinking water standard or Maximum Contaminant Level (MMCL), as published in 2020 by EPA, is 20 nanograms per liter (ng/L) or parts per trillion (ppt). As of March 2023, the EPA released a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFOA and PFOS, which is 4 ppt, which includes four additional PFAS compounds which will be measured using a Hazard Index.
Currently, Groveland is well below the standard for the MMCL and has been sampling monthly since 2021, with steady results of 4.1075 ppt at Well 1 and 4.392 ppt at Well 3. Unfortunately, these numbers are just above the proposed 4 ppt action level, which means Groveland will need to take some form of action.
In order to remove the PFAS from the water, the treatment plant would first need to remove the existing Iron and Manganese minerals from the water. Iron and Manganese would be removed via GreenSand filtration, prior to going through Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) which removes the PFAS compounds. The GAC median is easily clogged by Iron and Manganese, so to prolong the lifespan of the GAC, the Iron and Manganese are removed first. The need to remove Iron, Manganese, and PFAS is a common issue in all communities and the methods mentioned above have proven to be successful.
The treatment facility is one of several options Groveland Water and Sewer is considering to ensure they are meeting the expected water quality regulation changes. Other options include finding sufficient new water well sources in town that would comply with the upcoming regulations or potentially purchasing water from a neighboring community, such as Haverhill, which already has a treatment plant that removes PFAS.
The new regulations from the EPA are currently expected to be adopted by the end of 2024, or early 2025. The timeline for compliance has not yet been determined. The new regulations will affect residents across the nation who rely on town and city water.
Further information about this process will be shared with residents as it becomes available.
To view frequently asked questions about the regulation changes click here.
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