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Community PFAS Testing
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
WILMINGTON
You might have seen recent news reports about per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (together abbreviated as PFAS). This is a class of human-made chemicals typically associated with certain fire-fighting foams. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and have been used in products we all use for decades.
On October 2, 2020, MassDEP published the drinking water standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 nanograms per liter (ng/L), or parts per trillion (ppt), for PFAS based on the sum of concentrations for six PFAS compounds. The six PFAS are: perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS); perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS); perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA); and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA).
Wilmington conducted tests using extremely sensitive analystical methods for 14 different PFAS compounds using a MassDEP approved laboratory and methods in July 2019. Using test methods that can detect the presence of these chemicals down to levels below a part per trillion (ppt), we found evidence that some of these chemicals are in our water at low levels. We conducted confirmatory sampling on six of the compounds in August 2019, with similar results. The results are below the regulatory levels published by MassDEP for drinking water.
To review new information on PFAS test results in 2021 and 2022 for Wilmington’s drinking water, go to: https://www.wilmingtonma.gov/water-sewer-division/pages/pfas-wilmington.
Butters Row Treatment Plant2023 PFAS Test Results for Wilmington
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | 1/3/23 | 2/1/23 | 3/1/23 | 4/3/23 | 6/5/23 | 7/6/23 | 8/2/23** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | 3.1 |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | 5.45 |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | Trace* | 12 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | 8.5 |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | Trace* |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | Trace* |
| Sum of PFAS6 - compare to MassDEP MCL of 20 ng/l | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | 29.05 |
* Trace amounts are present but they are below the minimum concentration that can be reported as a quantified value. Categorized as not detected by MassDEP. |
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| Unregulated PFAS | 1/3/23 | 2/1/23 | 3/1/23 | 4/3/23 | 6/5/23 | 7/6/23 | 8/2/23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFBS | ND | ND | ND | ND | Trace* | 3 | 4.55 |
| PFHxA | ND | ND | ND | ND | Trace* | 2.2 | 4.55 |
| NEtFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| NMeFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFDoA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTeDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTrDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFUnA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Adona | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| HFPO-DA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
Sargent Treatment Plant
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | 1/3/23 | 2/1/23 | 3/1/23 | 4/3/23 | 6/5/23 | 7/14/23 | 8/2/23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | ND | 3.5 | ND | Trace* | 2.1 | 2.5 | Trace* |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | ND | 4.4 | Trace* | Trace* | 3.7 | 4.7 | 3 |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | Trace* | 11 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 6.7 | 8.9 | 5.4 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | ND | 6.7 | Trace* | Trace* | 3.9 | 6.5 | 2.7 |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | ND | Trace* | ND | ND | Trace* | Trace* | ND |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Sum of PFAS6 - compare to MassDEP MCL of 20 ng/l | ND | 25.6 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 16.4 | 22.6 | 11.1 |
* Trace amounts are present but they are below the minimum concentration that can be reported as a quantified value. Categorized as not detected by MassDEP. |
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| Unregulated PFAS | 1/3/23 | 2/1/23 | 3/1/23 | 4/3/23 | 6/5/23 | 7/14/23 | 8/2/23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFBS | ND | 2.9 | ND | Trace* | Trace* | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| PFHxA | Trace* | 7.3 | ND | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| NEtFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| NMeFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFDoA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTeDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTrDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFUnA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Adona | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| HFPO-DA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
Butters Row Treatment Plant2022 PFAS Test Results for Wilmington
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | 1/5/22 | 2/2/22 | 3/2/22 | 4/6/22 | 5/1/22 | 6/6/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | Trace* | 1.8 | Trace* | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 4.6 | 5 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | Trace* | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.5 | Trace* | 2.9 |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Sum of PFAS6 - compare to MassDEP MCL of 20 ng/l | 4.6 | 8.9 | 6.5 | 9.7 | 6.8 | 10.7 |
* Trace amounts are present but they are below the minimum concentration that can be reported as a quantified value. Categorized as not detected by MassDEP. |
||||||
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | 7/6/22 | 8/3/22 | 9/1/22 | 10/3/22 | 11/2/22 | 12/1/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | Trace* | Trace* | 2.2 | ND | ND | ND |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | ND | Trace* | ND |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 6.1 | 6.9 | 9.2 | ND | 2 | ND |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | 2.5 | 3.1 | 4.1 | ND | Trace* | ND |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Sum of PFAS6 - compare to MassDEP MCL of 20 ng/l | 11.1 | 12.9 | 18.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
* Trace amounts are present but they are below the minimum concentration that can be reported as a quantified value. Categorized as not detected by MassDEP. |
||||||
| Unregulated PFAS | 1/5/22 | 2/2/22 | 3/2/22 | 4/6/22 | 5/1/22 | 6/6/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFBS | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 4 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| PFHxA | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4 | 4 |
| NEtFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| NMeFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFDoA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTeDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTrDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFUnA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Adona | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| HFPO-DA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Unregulated PFAS | 7/6/22 | 8/3/22 | 9/1/22 | 10/3/22 | 11/2/22 | 12/1/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFBS | 2.9 | 5.3 | 12 | 1.8 | 5.8 | ND |
| PFHxA | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.8 | ND | Trace* | ND |
| NEtFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| NMeFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFDoA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTeDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTrDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFUnA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Adona | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| HFPO-DA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
Sargent Treatment Plant
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | 1/5/22 | 2/2/22 | 3/2/22 | 4/6/22 | 5/1/22 | 6/6/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | ND | ND | ND | ND | Trace* | Trace* |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | ND | ND | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | 2 |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | 2.4 | 3 | 4.3 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | ND | ND | ND | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Sum of PFAS6 - compare to MassDEP MCL of 20 ng/l | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 | 3 | 6.3 |
* Trace amounts are present but they are below the minimum concentration that can be reported as a quantified value. Categorized as not detected by MassDEP. |
||||||
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | 7/6/22 | 8/3/22 | 9/1/22 | 10/3/22 | 11/2/22 | 12/1/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | ND | Trace* | ND |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.4 | Trace* | Trace* | ND |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 6.1 | 5.5 | 6.3 | 2.6 | 2.4 | ND |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.4 | ND | Trace* | ND |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Sum of PFAS6 - compare to MassDEP MCL of 20 ng/l | 10.6 | 10.7 | 11.1 | 2.6 | 2.4 | ND |
* Trace amounts are present but they are below the minimum concentration that can be reported as a quantified value. Categorized as not detected by MassDEP. |
||||||
| Unregulated PFAS | 1/5/22 | 2/2/22 | 3/2/22 | 4/6/22 | 5/1/22 | 6/6/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFBS | ND | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | Trace* | 2.1 |
| PFHxA | ND | Trace* | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
| NEtFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| NMeFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFDoA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTeDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTrDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFUnA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Adona | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| HFPO-DA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Unregulated PFAS | 7/6/22 | 8/3/22 | 9/1/22 | 10/3/22 | 11/2/22 | 12/1/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFBS | 2.1 | 2.9 | 2 | Trace* | Trace* | ND |
| PFHxA | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 2 | 2.6 | Trace* |
| NEtFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| NMeFOSAA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFDoA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTeDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFTrDA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| PFUnA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Adona | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| HFPO-DA | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
2019 PFAS Test Results for Peabody
| PFAS Analyte (results in ppt) | Sargent Treatment Plant - 7/15/19 | Sargent Treatment Plant - 8/12/19 |
|---|---|---|
| Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 1.3 | 3.3 |
| Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) | Not Detected | Not Detected |
| Compare to proposed MassDEP standard of 20 ppt for the sum of these six compounds* | 1.3 | 3.3 |
* MassDEP has proposed a drinking water standard of 20 ppt for the sum of these six compounds. The sum reported here is based on the proposed MassDEP approach for handling trace results detected below laboratory reporting levels. |
||
| PFBS | Not Detected | Not Tested |
| PFHxA | Not Detected | Not Tested |
| NEtFOSAA | Not Detected | Not Tested |
| NMeFOSAA | Not Detected | Not Tested |
| PFDoA | Not Detected | Not Tested |
| PFTeDA | Not Detected | Not Tested |
| PFTrDA | Not Detected | Not Tested |
| PFUnA | Not Detected | Not Tested |