Rehoboth Will Pay for PFAS Remediation

The Board of Selectmen voted to recommend approval of a reserve fund transfer for $100,000 to the Finance Committee.

The reserve fund is controlled by the Finance Committee. The finance committee approved transferring money from the reserve fund into a PFAS remediation account, within the Board of Health Department.

“The $100,000 will be used to address those areas that are required to be completed before the end of the fiscal year,” said Sue Pimental, the town’s Chief Compliance Officer. “We may need additional funds to complete these requirements before the end of the fiscal year.”

“It is estimated it will cost the town (between) $250,000 to $300,000 a year in the maintenance and continued remediation of the PFAS,” Pimental said Thursday.

“The EPA continues to lower the acceptable level of PFAS in water which will result in potentially more homes that will require filtration systems and maintenance,” Pimental continued.  “In addition to the yearly cost of the filtration systems with the town, located at the Public Safety/Fire Station, Town Hall, Council on Aging and Health and Human Services buildings, the maintenance of those four are expected to cost at a minimum, $10 to $15,000 per year for each unit, in addition to increase water sampling and reporting to the DEP.”

Pimental suggested establishing a special fund to pay for the water filtration systems at the Spring Town Meeting.

In 2022, harmful chemicals were discovered in the wells which supply water to the Town Hall and the Fire Station on Anawan Street. The water in the Town Hall and Fire Station wells contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a category of thousands of man-made chemicals mainly used in consumer and industrial products, including non-stick cookware, mascara, food packaging, water and stain resistant materials and fire-fighting apparatus and foam. These chemicals have been referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their strong chemical bonds that take a long time to dissipate.

These chemicals can circulate in the human body and cause adverse health effects. These effects include fertility issues, heightened cholesterol, changes in immune systems, increased risk of some cancers, liver damage, developmental changes for children and fetuses, and increased risk of thyroid disease and asthma.

Massachusetts mandates that PFAS drinking water levels not exceed 20 parts per trillion for a combination of all six regulated PFAS chemicals. This combination can include any percentage of these chemicals as long as the total sum is less than 20 parts per trillion.

“This PFAS has been systemic through the town,” said Selectman Lenny Mills. “When I joined (the Board), none of the water was drinkable. We have to hire an engineer to design a system and the state has to approve it. We’re going to have a higher standard to achieve. It’s a big cost going forward for us. We have to maintain these systems for a long time.”

Mills explained every town building has to have “an alternative plan to supply water.”  "The (state) requires we have an emergency plan in place which we do, we filed with them and it’s approved, so we have all the hook-ups so we can bring in water,” Mills added. “All these things are costly.”