Department of Public Works Director Thomas Holder reports that a pipe at the Happy Hollow Pilot PFAS6 Treatment System has failed, forcing the Town to take the system offline temporarily. The pipe failure was discovered on Tuesday, July 19, at about 10:25 a.m. Repairs are scheduled for July 28 and 29 and the system is expected to be back in operation by July 31.  The system was treating PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are six chemicals that have been used in a range of consumer and industrial products, the components of which break down very slowly over time.

The Happy Hollow Wells will remain online to provide service to the Town. PFAS levels at or near the 20 nanogram/liter (parts per trillion) Maximum Contaminant Level will be present in the water supply.

The latest sampling round occurred on June 17, with results as follows:

• Happy Hollow Well 1 – 20.6 ng/L (ppt)
• Happy Hollow Well 2 – 20.7 ng/L (ppt)
• Happy Hollow Well 3 – 19.7 ng/L (ppt)

Additionally, PFAS sampling at the Point of Entry was conducted on Thursday, July 21, while the PFAS treatment system was offline. The results will be posted on the Town website as soon as they are available.

If PFAS levels are over the Maximum Contaminant Level, sensitive consumers (pregnant women, nursing mothers, and infants) should consider using bottled water that has been tested for PFAS for drinking, for making infant formula, and for cooking foods that absorb water (such as rice). Alternatively, use a home water treatment system that is certified to remove PFAS by an independent testing group such as National Sanitation Foundation, Underwriters Laboratories, Water Quality Association or the CSA Group.

For more information about PFAS, visit these websites:

• MassDEP’s website on PFAS – https://www.mass.gov/info-details/per-andpolyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
• MassDEP Fact Sheet – Questions and Answers for Consumers – https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdep-fact-sheet-pfas-in-drinking-water-questionsand-answers-for-consumers
• CDC ATSDR Information on PFAS for consumers and health professionals – https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health information about PFAS in Drinking Water – https://www.mass.gov/service-details/per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substancespfas-in-drinking-water
• Water Quality Standards for Bottled Water in Massachusetts – https://www.mass.gov/info-details/water-quality-standards-for-bottled-water-inmassachusetts#list-of-bottlers

Residents can contact the DPW Office for details at 508-358-3672, or check the PFAS page of the website for updates at https://www.wayland.ma.us/pfas.