The Wellesley Board of Public Works is hosting a public forum on Thursday, December 16, 2021 to discuss Per- and PolyFluoroAlkyl Substances (PFAS) in its water system.
The forum will take place from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. via Zoom. Participants may register at www.wellesleyma.gov/pfasforum
PFAS are a group of numerous human-made chemicals that were used since the 1950's in consumer products. These chemicals do not break down and studies have shown that long term exposure may impact public health.
Elevated levels of PFAS were detected in Wellesley's water system earlier this year. Addressing this problem will require several million dollars of new expenditures. The Board of Public Works welcomes input form the community to help determine next steps.
The forum will include representatives from the Department of Public Works, Health Department, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). Town consultants Environmental Partners and Weston & Sampson will be in attendance.
The agenda includes a review of PFAS, the recently adopted regulatory standard for PFAS in our drinking water, an overview of the Town’s drinking water system, actions taken so far as well as planned temporary actions, and a discussion of potential long-term options to address this issue.
The public can ask questions and provide input to help the Town with plans for addressing this challenge going forward.
For questions or additional information, please contact DPW Director David Cohen, at 781-235-7600 x3300 or dpw@wellesleyma.gov
Additional PFAS information is available on the PFAS webpages on the Town of Wellesley website.