Rep. Blais files bill for private well standards
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NATALIE BLAIS
Published: 01-23-2025 4:04 PM |
BOSTON — New legislation filed by state Rep. Natalie Blais seeks the development of minimum statewide quality standards for private wells, as well as the expansion of a financial assistance program for residents trying to remediate wells contaminated by so-called “forever chemicals,” or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Blais co-filed the House bill, HD.3597, with Rep. Meghan Kilcoyne, while Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Marlborough, filed the Senate version, SD.847. If passed, the bill would instruct the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to develop standards and define testing requirements for new and existing wells, as well as require a private well to be tested upon the sale of a home, similar to Title 5 septic system regulations. Financial assistance would be made available to assist homeowners with well upgrades or remediation.
The Deerfield Democrat said she refiled the bill to follow up on work started by former longtime Berkshire County state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, who retired last year, in the last Legislative session. Blais painted well contaminations as both a “public health” and “equity” issue, as not all private wells are regularly tested.
“If you are a resident living in a rural community that will probably never have access to public water, we should be doing everything we can to make sure water is safe,” Blais said in a phone interview. “People who are relying on public water systems have confidence their water is safe because there are people monitoring it and testing it. … There’s no reason for rural residents to expect anything less.”
More than 500,000 people in Massachusetts rely on private wells for their drinking water, according to MassDEP. A two-year study from 2020 to 2022 conducted by RCAP Solutions, a Worcester-based nonprofit serving communities around the northeastern U.S., found that approximately one-third of the 500 private wells tested contained levels of contaminants higher than state health standards.
The prospect of introducing minimum statewide water quality standards for private wells is not new, as alongside Pignatelli’s previously filed bill, a MassDEP study, funded by an $100,000 appropriation in the fiscal year 2025 budget, is also underway to look into this sort of regulation.
Blais said she is hopeful the bill can move forward, especially because there is support from communities closer to Boston, like Marlborough.
“As the Legislature continues to address PFAS contamination in communities across the state this session, it’s crucial that the hundreds of thousands of households relying on private well water have access to clean and safe drinking water,” Eldridge said in a statement. “That’s why I’m proud to once again file legislation to empower the DEP to regulate private wells and establish a program to help homeowners test their wells for dangerous contaminants.”
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Representatives from RCAP Solutions, as well as The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, both of which lead the Coalition for Safe Drinking Water, said the proposed legislation could provide some extra protection for private well users.
“Massachusetts residents who live in municipalities with public water systems have access to water that is tested and treated to meet state and federal standards, but those protections do not extend to those who rely on well water,” Amie Shei, president and CEO of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, said in a statement. “Wells require regular testing and maintenance, just as public water systems do, but not everyone is aware of the need or can afford these services — creating a regional equity issue that can be addressed through this legislation.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.