Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards more than $17 Million in Grants to Aid Small and Disadvantaged Public Water Suppliers in Addressing Emerging Contaminants

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced more than $17.4 million in grant awards to 21 public water suppliers to assist with long-term solutions that address and mitigate emerging contaminants in drinking water. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) selected 21 projects to help remove PFAS and manganese.

“Contaminated drinking water poses a threat to public health and the environment if left unchecked. Small and disadvantaged public water systems face significant resource challenges when it comes to identifying and neutralizing these pollutants,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “This funding from the EPA provides significant support for these critical water projects as we work with public water suppliers to ensure safe and healthy drinking water for all residents across Massachusetts.”

Launched in 2023 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program provides states with funds to assist small and disadvantaged communities in improving their drinking water through projects and activities that address emerging contaminants that are registered on EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCL). Water contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and are not currently subject to federal drinking water regulations are added to the list and prioritized for further information collection and action. The grant program is made possible through funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

PFAS and manganese are among the list of contaminants that are increasingly impacting water resources. PFAS are a group of harmful man-made chemicals widely used in common consumer products, industrial processes, and in certain firefighting foams. Exposure to sufficiently elevated levels of PFAS compounds may cause a variety of health effects, including developmental effects in infants, impacts to certain organ functions and the immune system, and an elevated cancer risk. Manganese is a naturally occurring element that's present in water, soil, air, and food. While a small amount of manganese is necessary for good health, long-term exposure to high levels in drinking water may have adverse impacts to the nervous system.

The first round of projects selected by MassDEP and confirmed by EPA are awarded to the following public water suppliers:

Town of Ayer — $135,000 
The town will fund a pilot study to evaluate alternative PFAS removal process options at the Grove Pond Water Treatment Facility.

Tewksbury Water Department — $1,936,000 
The town will utilize these funds for a three-phase project for engineering design and construction to connect the Tewksbury State Hospital to the Town of Tewksbury's water distribution system.

Town of Westport — $4,000,000 
The Town of Westport provides drinking water to a small portion of town with water piped in from the City of Fall River’s water system. The proposed project will extend the water main further east along Route 6, provide a loop at Gifford Road to service an elementary school, extend along Route 6 to provide service to some businesses and residents impacted by PFAS. Other public water systems being connected are Alice A. Macomber Primary School, Westport Plaza, Lickety Splits, and Maynard State LLC.

Town of Phillipston, Phillipston Memorial Building — $90,290 
The Phillipston Memorial Building was formerly used as a school but is now a multipurpose facility that includes town offices and meeting rooms for local groups. The town will use the funds to install PFAS treatment and to reopen the building as a school in the future.

Pepperell Water Department — $5,175,000 
The town will use the funding for a project to extend a water main from the Dunstable Water Department distribution system to the Pepperell Water Department system at Jersey Street in Pepperell.

Barnstable Fire District — $2,388,000
The public water supplier will use the funds to construct a new 2.16-million-gallons-per-day drinking water treatment facility with Granulated Activated Carbon to remove PFAS at wells #2 and #5.

West Brookfield Water Department — $113,900 
The Town of West Brookfield plans to use this grant to design a treatment facility to treat manganese, and the town plans to eventually construct a new Leland Road water treatment facility.

North Raynham Water District — $150,000 
The public water supplier plans to rehabilitate an existing carbon vessel treatment to reduce PFAS to the lowest possible levels in their water system.

Housatonic Water Works Company — $350,000 
The Housatonic Water Works Company in Great Barrington plans to construct a new treatment facility to remove manganese from the drinking water source at Long Pond. The grant will fund planning and design.

Hilltown Community Development Corp. — $60,000 
The Hilltown Community Development Corp. in Chesterfield is planning a project to modify the existing water treatment system to include a manganese removal system, nitrate removal system and a sediment filter, including brine tanks for treatment and a new drain line and tight tank for water treatment waste.

New Testament Church of Cedarville, Inc. — $4,665 
The New Testament Church in Plymouth plans to use this grant for reimbursement of costs associated with the disinfection of an installed PFAS system, the permitting and preparation of materials, an update of the Emergency Response Plan, and the installation of an additional tap for testing the water after it passes through the PFAS Removal System.

The Greens — $100,000
The Greens housing complex is planning an interconnection to the Tyngsborough Water District, which will address PFAS contamination of The Greens drinking water sources.

Lanesborough Fire and Water District — $1,000,000 
The Lanesborough Fire and Water District will develop another groundwater supply well off Bull Hill Road in Lanesborough.

Swift River School — $71,138 
The Swift River School in New Salem will utilize the grant to design, permit, and install a PFAS treatment system using anion exchange resin that will be added to the existing drinking water treatment system.

River Crossing Condominiums — $73,837 
The public water supplier will install a PFAS treatment system at its Tyngsborough location to address PFAS exceedances dating back to 2021.

West Springfield DPW Water Division — $198,603 
This project involves conducting a 150-day pilot study to evaluate granular activated carbon treatment at the existing Southwick Wellfield Water Treatment Facility.

Egremont Town Hall — $38,000 
The town plans to install a filtration and treatment unit at the Egremont Town Hall water supply point of entry.

Taunton Water Division — $50,000 
The City of Taunton plans to connect a public water supply impacted by manganese, The Royal Penny, to the municipal water system.

Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District — $50,000 
The school district plans on using the grant to remove and replace the existing water filtration system with two new green sand water filters and a booster pump system to remove manganese from the drinking water at its facility in Lakeville.

Our Lady of Grace Church — $150,000 
The public water supplier’s project will include the evaluation of a PFAS treatment pilot program, design of the treatment system, preparation of necessary permit applications, and installation of the approved treatment system at its Westport location.

Pine Tree Village — $1,335,000 
The public water supplier will use the grant funds to design and construct a new water treatment plant to remove manganese and PFAS from the source water.

“I’m thrilled that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency, is working with local communities in my district to make their drinking water safer,” said State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “Over $4 million in funding will assist in eradicating contaminants and PFAS or 'forever chemicals.’ People should know that their drinking water is safe, and this project will install state-of-the-art filtration and provide sediment and contaminant removal.”  

“I am heartened that the Swift River School in New Salem will be receiving grant funding from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program to design, permit, and install a PFAS treatment system to ensure safe drinking water for students, faculty, and staff,” said State Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “I am grateful to MassDEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for assisting with long-term solutions to address contaminants in drinking water. While we must prevent PFAS contamination in the Commonwealth and protect our environment, this funding is necessary progress towards sustainable, clean water for my constituents."

“I am proud that Westport will be receiving this money to extend water service along Route 6 and provide a reliable connection for years to come,” said State Representative Paul Schmid (D-Westport). “I’d like to thank MassDEP for their commitment to Westport and I hope the community will continue to have the support of our state agencies when it comes to bettering our infrastructure and providing a valuable resource for our residents.”

Visit the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant page for more information about the grant program. To learn more about the communities that have received these grants, visit MassDEP’s EC-SDC Grants Map.

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. 

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