News

GROVELAND– Superintendent Colin Stokes, Groveland Water and Sewer Department, and the Groveland Board of Water Commissioners would like to share information regarding the expected regulation changes. 

State and federal drinking water regulations are expected to change and Groveland Water and Sewer would like to share the following information about the changes. 

Groveland Water and Sewer is proactively working on options for the new regulation guidelines proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Once the new regulations are accepted by the state, Groveland will be expected to take immediate action. 

The current regulations for PFAS public drinking water standard or Maximum Contaminant Level (MMCL), as published in 2020 by EPA, is 20 nanograms per liter (ng/L) or parts per trillion (ppt) applicable to the community. This regulation takes into account the concentrations of six specific PFAS.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man-made and do not break down quickly. 

Currently, Groveland is well below the standard for the MMCL and has been sampling monthly and quarterly since 2021, with steady results of 4.1075 ppt at Well 1 and 4.392 ppt at Well 3.

The water is safe to drink per the current Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 

As of March 2023, the EPA released a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFOA and PFOS, which is 4 ppt. This regulation would cover Four additional PFAS compounds, which will be measured using a Hazard Index. A Hazard Index is a calculation based upon a formula provided by the EPA.

Regulations are determined by the maximum contaminant level due to PFAS.

The Groveland Board of Water Commissioners is currently looking into a variety of options to meet these regulations. The goal is to find a solution with the least impact on residents and ratepayers. Options include: 

• Building a water treatment/filtration plant in Groveland
• Finding sufficient new water sources that will comply with the upcoming PFAS regulations.
• Purchasing water from a neighboring community

The new regulations are currently expected to be adopted by the end of 2024, or early 2025. The timeline for compliance has not yet been determined. 

Information about this process will be shared with residents as it becomes available.

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GROVELAND —  Town Administrator Rebecca Oldham and Water and Sewer Superintendent Colin Stokes are pleased to share that the Groveland Water Department has received a federal grant from Congressman Seth Moulton to invest in the Department’s infrastructure. 

Groveland Water received $959,752 which will be used to help make repairs to the water mains on Washington Street, Wood Street, and Balch Ave. The mains, which are close to a century old, are significantly undersized. Replacing these mains will improve water quality and quantity and create another water line to the town’s nearest water tower.

“This funding will play a pivotal role in modernizing our water distribution system and providing the town with increased access to better quality water,” said Town Administrator Oldham. “These necessary updates will provide many benefits to the community. We are grateful to Congressman Moulton for his support.”

Congressman Moulton secured $13.5 million to disperse between 15 different community improvement projects in fiscal year 2024 regulations. Representatives are permitted under guidelines issued by the House Appropriations Committee to request funding for a limited number of community projects within their district.

The selected projects will improve infrastructure and climate resiliency, expand workforce development and veteran services, and invest in childcare and education. Other towns awarded funding include Beverly, Lynn, Salem, Rockport, Wakefield, Tewksbury, Danvers, Amesbury, Manchester-By-The-Sea, Wilmington, and Gloucester.

“I would like to thank Congressman Moulton, his regional Director Tom Arsenault, and the many other staff members who helped pull this all together. I would also like to thank Town Administrator Rebecca Oldham for playing a pivotal role in securing this funding source,” said Superintendent Stokes. 

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