This year, PFAS has experienced a monumental rise in media coverage and public attention. Due to the PFAS-conscious policies of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) requiring PFAS testing, many towns found dangerous PFAS levels in their water sources. By May, around 20% of tested public wells contained above-regulation PFAS levels.
Communities scrambled to find ways to address their PFAS problem. Wayland, MA, resorted to handing out bottled water (with a cost of $20,000 per week) to its residents as a temporary water supply, while other towns like Wellesley fell back on their connections to the MWRA (Massachusetts Watershed Resource Association). Two major ways towns are considering dealing with this problem on the long-term side of things are either through connecting water pipes to the MWRA or installing their own expensive GAC (granular activated carbon) filters, both of which are highly expensive options that are expected to take a heavy toll on town budgets.
The financial situation and problems of towns across Massachusetts bring to awareness a problem towards the establishment of federal regulations: not every town has the financial and logistical resources to comply with regulations. Solving the PFAS issue will require millions of dollars in financial aid to provide safe drinking water to the American people.
In the new year, I hope that more progress will be made in removing this toxic chemical from water supplies so that Americans will no longer face dreadful health effects. We need the government to intervene and put forth policies of regulation on a federal scale, so PFAS pollution can be greatly reduced and managed.
Happy New Year to All!
Sources
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/23/science/more-communities-are-finding-toxic-chemicals-their-drinking-water/