Should Groveland move forward with the option of building a water treatment plant to meet tightened pollution regulations, officials project it will cost about $22 million for construction and piping.
A treatment plant is one of three options for meeting expected requirements to serve water largely free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS for short. As WHAV previously reported, other possibilities are finding new well sources or buying water from a neighboring community, such as Haverhill.
Water and Sewer Superintendent Colin Stokes, the Groveland Water and Sewer Department and the Board of Water Commissioners said in a statement said the plant would be paid over time by water and sewer ratepayers. To reduce costs, they said grants or the State Revolving Fund, with low or zero percent interest could help.
“A potential water treatment facility would have to be built in a centralized location and include a filtration system, drainage location for storm run-off and other mechanical aspects that are in line with state and federal regulations. The filtration plant would potentially be located at the Pines near the current Well 3, on land that is already under the control of the Water and Sewer Commissioners,” the statement said.
Officials say Groveland water meets current Environmental Protection Agency standards, but levels of the man-made “forever chemicals” would be slightly above the more stringent standards expected later this year.
The treatment plant would remove existing iron and manganese from the water through GreenSand filtration before being further processed by granular activated carbon which removes PFAS compounds.