Dear Editor,
Massachusetts has a quiet but severe public health crisis brewing right under our noses. Across nearly a hundred cities and towns, local drinking water is contaminated with dangerous synthetic compounds called PFAS. We call them “forever chemicals” for a reason—they don’t break down, meaning they just sit there, silently building up in our environment and our bodies.
Right now, close to 180 municipal water systems across the state are testing way past safe limits. To keep people safe, local officials are scrambling to install advanced filtration systems, shut down contaminated wells, and hand out clean water alternatives. But here’s the kicker: the massive bill for all of this is falling squarely on local taxpayers through higher utility rates, while the chemical corporations that actually made the mess get off scot-free.
These hazardous chemicals are everywhere. They’re in everyday items like rain jackets, non-stick pans, takeout containers, and industrial firefighting foams. The science is clear, too: even tiny amounts of exposure are linked to devastating health issues, from various cancers and liver damage to developmental delays and weakened immune systems.
While Massachusetts did set strict safety limits for tap water, filtering it at the end of the line is just a band-aid. It’s still completely legal to sell PFAS-packed products all over the state. We’re actually lagging behind the rest of New England—almost all of our neighbors have already banned these chemicals from things like food packaging and textiles.
Fortunately, there’s a real solution on the table. “An Act to Protect Massachusetts Public Health from PFAS” (S3034/H4870) offers a major framework to phase out these toxic ingredients for good. Crucially, this bipartisan bill sets up a cleanup fund using legal settlements from industrial polluters to help towns cover their water treatment costs.
The formal legislative window closes on July 31, and state lawmakers need to pass these reforms right now. Trying to treat contaminated water without cutting off the chemical supply is like trying to bail out a sinking ship without plugging the leak. Our health can’t afford any more hesitation.
George Ferdinand
Tewksbury Board of Health Member
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