PFAS stands for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances which are actually a group of different chemicals. In September 2020, Massachusetts established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for the sum of six PFAS including:
· Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS),
· Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA),
· Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA),
· Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS),
· Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA),
· Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA)
The sum of these six PFAS is abbreviated PFAS6 and this MCL applies to all public drinking water supplies within Massachusetts. Additionally, the new regulations require all public water suppliers to test for PFAS6 at each entry point to the distribution system for four consecutive quarters to start. Entry point samples need to be representative of combined sources after treatment. Subsequent routine monitoring will depend on the test results obtained during the initial monitoring period.
· If initial monitoring does not identify any PFAS (below detection limit of 2 ppt), one year monitoring of two quarters (for systems greater than 3,300) during a three year compliance period will be allowed.
· During initial monitoring, the first PFAS detection and any subsequent PFAS6 detection greater than 10 ppt triggers confirmation sampling to be collected as soon as possible after receipt of the result (no later than two weeks after receipt of result).
· Increase to Monthly monitoring will be required: If average of PFAS6 initial result and confirmatory result is greater than 10 ppt, sample location moves to monthly sampling. Monthly samples will continue until sample location is shown to be reliably and consistently below the MCL.
PFAS6 monitoring starts based on the service population of the public water supplier as follows:
· January 1, 2021 for systems serving more than 50,000 people
· April 1, 2021 for systems serving 10,000 to 50,000 people
· October 1, 2021 for systems serving less than 10,000 people
· September 20, 2022 for transient non-community systems (hotels, restaurants, etc.)
PFAS are a group of emerging contaminants in drinking water that have a variety of different health impacts after long term exposure including on thyroid, liver, kidney functions and development effects on fetuses. PFAS were introduced to the water supply since they have been commonly used compounds since the 1950s in a multitude of products including firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, food packaging and stain/water resistant coatings on clothing, furniture and carpets.
The Massachusetts MCL only applies to public water suppliers within Massachusetts. There is no mandatory federal drinking water standard for PFAS at this time.
For more information about PFAS in Massachusetts use the following link:
If you have questions about PFAS in drinking water, please contact ResilientCE at admin@resilientce.com
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