Group proposes short-term solutions to PFAS in Middleboro wells

MIDDLEBORO — A newly formed citizens advocacy group is asking Middleboro officials to take three steps to combat the impact of PFAS in the town’s wells. The contamination in one well has reached levels that violate state standards several times in the past year.

Members of Citizens for a Healthy Middleboro asked Select Board members at their Dec. 9 meeting to offer self-serve taps from the cleanest wells, notify residents when they should avoid drinking water and determine the source of the PFAS. 

Group member Richard Oakley suggested these steps be used in “the short term’’ until the town can open a new Middleboro East Grove Street Water Treatment Plant that will treat PFAS, manganese and iron. Voters at the April 22 Town Meeting approved borrowing $33 million to build the plant.

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals that have been used in the manufacturing of certain fire-fighting foams, moisture and stain-resistant products and other industrial processes. Exposure has been linked to certain types of cancer, impacts to the immune system and other health risks.

The chemicals have been detected at levels above 20 nanograms per liter, which is considered a violation in Massachusetts, at least three times in 2024 at the East Grove Street well. 

Oakley noted that, although East Grove Street has been “the most consistent with poor PFAS results,’’ two other town wells have also had “very high numbers.’’ The Mizaras Well in North Middleboro “flirts with’’ the 20 nanograms per liter mark, he said, and the Tispaquin Well in South Middleboro has “had bad spells’’ and is the third worst performing well in town.

Offering spigots at the wells with better numbers, those at East Main Street and Spruce Street, would allow all residents to have access to cleaner water, according to materials provided by the organization. 

The East Grove Street well only operates for Department of Environmental Protection mandated testing and availability in case of emergencies such as fires, water department officials have said.

When it does operate, Oakley said residents should be informed through some form of communication. Select Board members raised no objections to this, although the use of email or text would be preferable, some members said, rather than incur the cost of mailing.

Select Board members asked Town Manager Jay McGrail to explore the first two suggestions and return to the board with more information.

Finding the source of the PFAS would be trickier, McGrail said. “There is no smoking gun,’’ Select Board member Brian Giovanoni said, noting that the PFAs amounts are so small “it’s like a water droplet on Lake Superior.’’ Sources could include foam used years ago to tackle car fires on Route 495, he said, which then seeped into the soil.

Another challenge, McGrail said is that PFAS can be found in many sources, including certain jackets. A tester wearing such a jacket, he said could then impact the numbers.

PFAS is also found in some construction materials, he said. “It’s almost impossible,’’ he said, to build a plant to treat PFAS “without using some PFAs.’’

Select board member Thomas White said he supported the organization’s goals. “Up to this point we’ve been doing all that is possible, but there is always more we can do.’’

Select board member Teresa Farley said that Middleboro is “ahead of the game’’ by acknowledging the issue and approving millions of dollars to tackle it. She said she understood the organization’s short-term requests but wanted the group to know that “we see it, we know it’s a problem.’’