While Wayland’s filtered drinking water meets current Massachusetts and federal regulations for PFAS compounds, water from the Chamberlain and Baldwin wells exceeds new federal PFAS limits and must achieve compliance by 2029.
Department of Public Works Director Thomas Holder said water at each of the town’s four well locations complies with current state and federal regulations, The compliance deadline for new federal PFAS regulations is April 2029, though eligible systems may request a two-year extension.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulates six PFAS compounds: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFHpA, and PFDA. Their combined measurement is known as PFAS6. The state requires compliance monitoring at each entry point to a water distribution system rather than averaging results across multiple locations. The current state limit is 20 parts per trillion (ppt), or nanograms per liter.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large group of synthetic chemicals that includes compounds such as PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFHpA, PFDA, GenX chemicals, and PFHxA. They appear in many products including nonstick cookware and waterproof fabrics.
Holder said the town’s water sources draw from separate, unconnected aquifers, although the water is blended before distribution. He noted that combined water filtered at the Happy Hollow facility currently registers undetectable levels for PFAS6.
In 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized drinking water standards for PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, at 4 ppt. In 2026, however, the agency proposed maintaining enforceable limits only for PFOA and PFOS while rescinding standards for several other PFAS compounds because those two chemicals have the strongest evidence linking them to health risks and are classified as likely carcinogens. The proposed federal limits remain 4 ppt for both PFOA and PFOS individually.
MassDEP has said it plans to revise its PFAS regulations to be at least as stringent as federal requirements and has until 2028 to adopt new rules under an approved extension. It remains unclear whether Massachusetts will continue requiring PFAS6 monitoring. Wayland currently complies with state regulations and reports PFAS6 levels.
PFAS compounds resist heat, water, oil, and grease and do not easily break down in the environment or the human body. For that reason, they are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” The EPA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and independent researchers have linked PFAS exposure to significant health risks.
Wayland’s municipal water system operates as an integrated distribution network rather than as separate geographic service areas. Water from the Chamberlain, Campbell Road, and Baldwin wellfields enters a unified system of water mains, where it mixes with water from Happy Hollow to serve the entire town and maintain system pressure.
MassDEP records show PFAS6 levels at the Chamberlain well ranged from 14.1 to 17.4 ppt from January through Oct. 6. The Campbell Road well ranged from 2.24 to 2.44 ppt, while Baldwin ranged from 3.16 to 6.46 ppt.
Untreated water samples from the Happy Hollow wells reflected the contamination that the facility’s treatment system must address. Across 24 samples collected from three wells, PFAS6 concentrations ranged from 13.7 to 25.2 ppt. Six samples exceeded the state’s 20-ppt standard, including three collected in May, two in June, and one in August.
However, eight filtered water samples from Happy Hollow reported all six PFAS compounds as non-detect. A non-detect result means the laboratory did not report a detection and should not be interpreted as a measurement of zero.
State records identify specific sampling dates and locations but do not establish PFAS concentrations at individual household taps, document every private well or waste-site test in town, or provide a complete calendar-year record because 2026 is still underway.
Current system is temporary
Holder said the current treatment system at Happy Hollow is effectively reducing PFAS levels but emphasized that it was intended as a temporary solution.
The town installed a leased ion exchange treatment system at Happy Hollow in 2021 and 2022 after receiving a notice of noncompliance for PFAS levels. The temporary, pilot-scale system operates under a MassDEP permit and consists of leased treatment equipment housed in a fabric enclosure.
According to town reports, the system is not fully winterized, sits in a flood-prone area, and has experienced multiple pipe failures and service disruptions.
At Town Meeting on May 4, voters approved a $38.6 million Happy Hollow/MWRA water treatment projec. The Board of Public Works presented a plan that calls for a rebuilt local supply system at Happy Hollow supplemented by water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority while retiring the town’s other three local wells.
Town engineering studies determined that only the Happy Hollow site has sufficient land and space to support a permanent PFAS treatment facility.
The new facility will be built outside the flood-prone area currently occupied by the temporary system and will use granular activated carbon filtration, a widely used technology for removing PFAS compounds from drinking water. The project is part of a broader dual-source water strategy that combines local groundwater treatment with an MWRA connection to provide backup water during supply interruptions.
“Construction plans are on track,” Holder said, adding that the DPW is completing project design work and has obtained all necessary permits. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2027 or early 2028. Holder said he is confident the town will meet the federal compliance deadline in 2029.
Earlier MassDEP site assessments suggested the former Department of Public Works property may have contributed to PFAS contamination affecting the drinking water supply. Holder said investigators “did not determine that the former DPW site was definitively responsible for PFAS entering the town’s water system.”
MassDEP identified a significant PFAS release associated with the former DPW property and adjacent parcels on Main Street. The site lies within the Zone II Aquifer Protection District, a critical groundwater recharge area for the Happy Hollow wellfield.
Investigators theorized that a plume of PFAS-contaminated groundwater may have migrated toward the wells. Because Happy Hollow historically supplied about half of Wayland’s drinking water, contamination at the site could have spread throughout the town via the interconnected distribution system.
Holder acknowledged that PFAS contamination exists beneath the former DPW property and adjacent middle school property.
Of 21 groundwater samples collected from the area, 19 exceeded the state’s PFAS6 groundwater standard of 20 parts per trillion. The highest result measured 532 parts per trillion. The town’s environmental consultant, CMG Environmental, reported that the horizontal extent of the groundwater plume has not yet been determined. The firm’s working hypothesis is that PFAS contamination may be associated with septic leach fields at Wayland Middle School, with contamination pooling beneath the former DPW property and moving toward the Dudley Pond-Happy Hollow wellfield area. That remains an investigative hypothesis rather than a final determination.
Holder said the town is aware of the contamination issue but noted that addressing it will require a significant financial investment.
He also dismissed aqueous film-forming foam, commonly known as AFFF, as a likely source of contamination. Such foams have historically been used in firefighting training, emergency response, and vehicle maintenance and are a well-documented source of PFAS contamination nationwide
Holder said Wayland’s fire department did not use PFAS-containing foam. According to both current and former fire chiefs, the department used a food-based foam that did not contain PFAS compounds. Instead, he attributed the contamination to broader regional sources, including industrial discharges and historical household waste. Holder cited materials such as stain-resistant carpeting, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and specialty packaging, which can release PFAS into groundwater through disposal sites over time.
While town officials say Wayland’s treated drinking water currently meets state and federal standards, questions remain about the long-term source of PFAS contamination and the cost of cleaning it up.
