To Streamline Funding For PFAS Treatment System, Town Declares State Of Emergency

The Select Board voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a request from the Nantucket Water Department to declare a state of emergency regarding PFAS contamination at one of the island's public water wells at Wyer's Valley.

While the contamination of the well was disclosed publicly weeks ago, the declaration is an effort by the town to streamline the funding necessary to install a new multi-million-dollar treatment system to remove PFAS ahead of the summer and bring the well back online.

"The state of emergency will allow us to move at a faster pace," Nantucket Water Department director Mark Willett told the Current. "We have received approval to waive the requirements for the normal bidding process of the treatment project. The project and construction will still be conducted under prevailing wages and proper insurance, but we will be able to move faster to get the project done before the summer season."

The well is one of the seven that provide Nantucket's public water supply, and it has become contaminated by a creeping, underground plume of the forever chemicals known as PFAS that has already shut down private wells on Toms Way, the small dirt road located across the street from the Wannacomet Water Company's Wyer's Valley pumping stations. The contaminated well, which taps groundwater from the shallow level of Nantucket's sole source aquifer, has been shut down since late 2022 as PFAS testing revealed a rising concentration of the chemical.

Willett said that with Well 15 shut down, the town's drinking water is and has been free of PFAS, and his department has been able to meet the town's water demand with the remaining six wells, three of which are located at Wyer's Valley, one at North Pasture, and two in 'Sconset. Testing on the other six public water wells shows that PFAS has not been detected. But the shutdown of Well 15 has impacted water pressure for island residents at points of high demand during the summer, and he is concerned that if there was a major fire like the one that struck the Veranda House in July 2022, the existing pumping stations would not be adequate without turning on Well 15.

"Well 15 has been off since 2022," Willett said. "But it was always available to use if there was a large fire or the system demand was very high. If we needed it, it was available. Now with the PFAS levels detected Well 15 it is not available for use without treatment. The installation of the treatment system will give us the ability to use Well 15 if needed."

Two of Nantucket's public water wells at Wyer's Valley (Wells 15 and 16) pump groundwater from a shallow aquifer at about 75 feet, while the remaining three wells (Wells 12, 13, 14) pump groundwater from a deeper aquifer at about 150 feet beneath a semi-confining layer of soil that separates the two. Willett is concerned that utilizing the shallow wells (15 and 16) could pull the PFAS plume closer toward Wyer's Valley. While Well 16 has not yet had a hit for PFAS, Willett said, he's kept it shut off during the winter because it is not needed to meet demand, and out of concern about pulling the plume closer.

Used to manufacture stain- and water-resistant products, the family of chemicals known as PFAS is suspected to increase the risk of kidney and testicular cancers, as well as other health conditions. They are often called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down and remain present in the environment. The chemicals are used in a wide range of products from non-stick pans, to fast food wrappers, to firefighting foam.

In Massachusetts, the Department of Environmental Protection has set the public drinking water standard, also called the Massachusetts Maximum Contaminant Level (MMCL), at 20 nanograms per liter (ng/L), or parts per trillion (PPT). The federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed a national drinking water standard for some types of PFAS as low as 4 PPT.

When the Toms Way PFAS contamination was first detected, with some properties showing levels over 100 PPT, it was immediately alarming for Willett given the proximity to the town's public drinking water wells at Wyer's Valley.

"That's a par four away from Well 15," Willett said. "That's like 400 yards."

The natural direction of the groundwater flow in the area, he said, goes from Toms Way through Wyer's Valley and toward Nantucket Harbor.

Two of Nantucket's public water wells at Wyer's Valley (Wells 15 and 16) pump groundwater from a shallow aquifer at about 75 feet, while the remaining three wells (Wells 12, 13, 14) pump groundwater from a deeper aquifer at about 150 feet beneath a semi-confining layer of soil that separates the two.

Willett is concerned that utilizing the shallow wells (15 and 16) could pull the PFAS plume closer toward Wyer's Valley. While Well 16 has not yet had a hit for PFAS, Willett said, he's kept it shut off during the winter because it is not needed to meet demand, and out of concern about pulling the plume closer.

Meanwhile, Willett and the Nantucket Water Department are in the process of commissioning a new public water well at North Pasture, which would tap the deeper level of the aquifer. He anticipates it could be online within a year, depending upon the speed of the state Department of Environmental Protection's permitting process.