The funding of next steps for the long-term dual source (a.k.a. hybrid) connection to the MWRA water supply will be among the voted decisions at the upcoming April 7, 2025 Annual Town Meeting as part of the budget article 10, motion 4.
However, the clean up status of the Old DPW Building/195 Main Street parcel has been impacted by the proposed MWRA connection project. The 195 Main site sits almost entirely in the easternmost portion of the Happy Hollow aquifer, which has a Zone II protection designation.
Some Select Board members initially considered the idea that by moving to a full MWRA water source, the Happy Hollow wells could be decommissioned and the aquifer protections could be lifted from the 195 Main Street parcel. Such a change would make it easier and less costly than clean up compliance with the more stringent drinking water standards.
While the prior hydrocarbon and heavy metal contamination may be removed under established methods, the PFAS in the soil and groundwater is significantly above drinking water standards that apply to aquifer areas leaving no clear or inexpensive cleanup options for the site.
The procedures for “abandoning a source” require 10 years or more and once abandoned, cannot be restarted. Informal conversations with the Water Resources Commission, made it clear that they were not willing to close the Happy Hollow wells whose site operations have the capacity to treat PFAS and are viewed as economically feasible to run.
The three 2015 renovated Happy Hollow wells, along with the other three wells have a combined registration limit of 1.66 million gallons per day (MGD), for a total approved withdrawal of 1.77 MGD for the Town of Wayland from MassDEP water division.
At issue is the past use of the 195 Main parcel as a landfill and DPW garage, which has contributed to various kinds of contamination at the site with hydrocarbons, heavy metals and PFAS above reportable levels. The unlined and uncapped landfill is not officially closed hence MassDEP Bureau of Waste Prevention Solid Waste Division has jurisdiction over activities on the property. The Board of Health would also have to weigh in to changing the site assignment from landfill use.
In 1996, MassDEP placed the site under Release Tracking Number (RTN) 03-0016798 and cleaned up multiple underground storage tanks. By 1999, the site was released with no conditions on future uses.
In July 2022, when CMG Environmental under Ben Gould performed an Limited Subsurface Investigation (LSI) study for a grass playing field at the 195 Main parcel, they collected nine soil and six groundwater samples at the site. These identified volatile petroleum hydrocarbons (VPH), lead and zinc in the soil, soluble antimony and PFAS in groundwater at reportable levels. A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey was also performed.
After further testing in Aug 2022 CMG issued a Soil & Groundwater Sampling Results letter that outlined the presence of Oil and Hazardous Materials (OHM) and PFAS in soil and groundwater above DEP’s applicable reportable concentrations for soil (RCS-1) and groundwater (RCGW-1) concentrations, where level 1 is the strictest risk characterization standard of 3 levels.
As a result, in November 2022 the 195 Main site was assigned a Phase 1 Tier 1 Classification and a new RTN 3-37750. The end goal would be to follow the MCP process to get to the Permanent Solution phase, where the site is considered safe enough for specified categories of future use.
Wayland has until November 1, 2026 to achieve a favorable Response Action Outcome (RAO) if further testing by CMG shows that is possible. Otherwise, the town will need to move on to MCP Phase II activities and/or transfer into a Tier II classification which requires more stringent cleanup and MassDEP oversight.
During the December 16 Select Board Meeting, Gould reported that the soil contamination by OHM could be handled by soil excavation. PFAS remediation would likely be a challenge given the downgradient wetlands leading to Dudley Pond and groundwater heading SWS to Lake Cochituate.
Funds to pay for delineation of the extent of the landfill material and PFAS await a vote from this April Annual Town Meeting in Article 34: 195 Main Street-Environmental Cleanup.
The custody of the 195 and 207 parcels changed by 2016 Special Town Meeting. The custody of the parcels did not revert back to the DPW after the new library vote did not pass as was understood would happen at the time. The School controls 207 Main Street parcel of 0.6 acres, north of the Middle School access road. Recreation holds custody of 1.9 acres of the eastern portion of 195 Main Street and the Library Trustees hold the 2.3 acres of the western portion around where the Old DPW building stood.
Before the Select Board could go forward on any new uses for the site, each of the three custodial boards would have to declare their parcels surplus to their intended purposes and Town Meeting would approve to transfer control to the Select Board with a two-thirds vote.
