Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Free Laboratory
Analyses Program for Public Water Suppliers and Private Wells
Final Report of the MassDEP-Drinking Water Program
and UMass Amherst-Lowell
December 2023
 Authors
This document was developed in collaboration between the MassDEP Drinking Water Program
and the University of Massachusetts Amherst-Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering.
The following individuals contributed to the development of this document:
Xochitl Perez Medina, PhD Hannah Parzen
Post Doctoral Research Associate Project Manager
Juliet Swigor Richard Friend
Regional GIS Coordinator Environmental Analyst
Frederick Civian Marie-Françoise Hatte
Regional Planner Project Manager
Sage Clark Jane Peirce
Environmental Analyst Budget/Contract Manager
Margaret Finn Jodi Lyn Cutler
Environmental Engineer Program Coordinator
Peer review of this document was provided by the following individuals:
Michael Hutcheson, PhD, MPH Damon Guterman
Environmental Analyst Environmental Analyst
Margaret Finn
Environmental Engineer
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 Acknowledgments
The completion of this project would not have been possible without the contributions
and assistance of the following individuals, as well as support from Boston MassDEP
Senior Staff and Regional Directors and Deputy Directors .
This project is the result of the collaboration of more than 100 individuals. They created
maps and databases, provided technical assistance to public water suppliers and
members of the public, completed data entry and quality control reviews, and much
more. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication.
Special thanks to Yvette DePeiza, Director of the Drinking Water Program, for her
steadfast leadership and support throughout the entire process.
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 UMass-Team
Principal Investigators / Project Directors
Amherst Lowell
Dave Reckhow, PhD Xiaoqi Zhang, PhD
John Tobiason, PhD Onur Apul, PhD
Project Managers Fiscal Specialist Laboratory Specialist
Marie-Françoise Hatte Jaana Pietari Richard Larson
Hannah Parzen
Lydia Thompson
Patrick Wittbold
GIS1 / Data analysis and research2 Private Wells
Xochitl Perez Medina, PhD1,2,*, Team leader Jodi Lyn Cutler, Program Coordinator
Yigit Bozkurt1,2 Nicole Galambos, Data manager
Emma Brigham1 Christian Pasichny, Data manager
Justin Chin1 Margaret (Addie) Turner, Data manager
Jihan (Gigi) Eljdidi1 Kaire Bernier
Benjamin Lee1 Zachary Costello
Sonny Nguyen1,2 Claire Delaney
Lucia Pan2 Kerry Flynn
Christian Pasichny2
Abrar Rayan2
Cameron Richards1
Janice Weldon1,2
Technical Assistance Providers Quality Control Data Entry
Michael Delaney, Team leader Sage Clark, Team leader Vedatman Basa
Eugene Brunelle Christopher Watt, Team leader Brady Bell
Larry Durkin Irina Biloiu Khadija Ben-Neticha
Bob Hoyt Justin Blundell Sara Darbyshire
Charlie Kennedy Brycen Burke Thomas Dugan
Stephanie Tarves Hanwen (Alex) Chen Brianna Dunn
Simon Harrity Samuel Esquivel
Cameron Kaminsky Olivia Harris
Soon-Mi Kim Rafid Islam
Mahidhar Lakkavaram Madelyn Johnson
John (Spencer) Lawrence Cameron Keith
Bao Le Faye Kuszewski
Abrar Rayan Robert Melvin
Mohammad (Kiron) Shakhawat Sara Molla
Leya Strode Lucia Pan
Nhi Tong Christian Pasichny
Nhu Tong Tom Roberts
Jacque Moon Yee Christine Testa
Baron Tran
Alexa Weinman
Anita Wolovick
Xin (Caroline) Ye
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 MassDEP-Team
Drinking Water Program by Region
Boston WERO CERO NERO SERO
Yvette DePeiza, Deirdre Doherty Robert Bostwick Kristin Divris James McLaughlin
Director Christine Simard Paula Caron Amy LaPusata Jonathan Hobill
Gufran Bulbul Catherine Wanat Christopher Nelson William Schwartz
Joseph Cerruti
Frederick Civian
Nicole Della Porta
Andrew Durham
Richard Friend
Margaret Finn
Damon Guterman
Michael Hutcheson
Ben Joaquin
Tio Yano
BWSC by Region
Eva Tor Mark Baldi Stephen Johnson Gerard Martin
Andrea Briggs Elizabeth Stinehart Angela Gallagher
Paul Vigeant Doug Coppi
John Handrahan
Jennifer Wharff
MassGIS Fiscal Operations ORS WES
Kashif Rashid, Director Jane Peirce Mark Smith, Director Lisa Touet
Tara Manno Earl Todd Diane Manganaro Oscar Pancorbo,
Philip Murphy Monica Vega Director
Aaron Richer
Marnie Spadoni
Juliet Swigor
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 Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 8
List of Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... 10
1 Background on PFAS in Drinking Water ................................................................................. 12
1.1. How PFAS Get into Drinking Water ...................................................................................................... 12
1.2. Health Effects of PFAS in Drinking Water ............................................................................................. 12
1.3. Federal and State Regulation of PFAS in Drinking Water ..................................................................... 13
1.3.1. Federal PFAS Drinking Water Regulation.......................................................................................................13
1.3.2. MA PFAS Drinking Water Regulations and Public Water Supplier Compliance Requirements .....................15
1.4. PFAS work efforts across the Commonwealth ..................................................................................... 16
1.5. Free PFAS Laboratory Analyses Program for PWS and private wells ................................................... 20
2 Funding for the free PFAS analysis program........................................................................... 22
3 Inter-Agency Service Agreement with UMass Amherst (support from UMass Lowell) ............ 22
4 Free PFAS Laboratory Analyses Program for Public Water Suppliers ...................................... 24
4.1. Program Elements and Implementation .............................................................................................. 24
4.1.1. Request for Interest .......................................................................................................................................24
4.1.2. Technical Assistance Providers and Laboratory Specialist .............................................................................24
4.1.3. Communication with Public Water Suppliers ................................................................................................25
4.1.4. Sampling ........................................................................................................................................................25
4.1.5. Laboratory Analysis of Samples .....................................................................................................................26
4.1.6. Communication of results and confirmation sampling for first PFAS detections ..........................................28
4.1.7. Outreach Activities ........................................................................................................................................29
5 Free PFAS Analyses Program for Private Wells ....................................................................... 30
5.1. Program Elements and Implementation .............................................................................................. 30
5.1.1. Notice of Interest ...........................................................................................................................................30
5.1.2. Selection of Targeted Private Wells for Invitations .......................................................................................31
5.1.3. Coordination with Public Entities ..................................................................................................................38
5.1.4. Technical Assistance Materials ......................................................................................................................40
5.1.5. Sampling of Private Wells ..............................................................................................................................41
5.1.6. Laboratory Analysis of Samples .....................................................................................................................41
5.1.7. Results review, communications, and confirmatory sampling ......................................................................42
6 Agency / Entity Roles ............................................................................................................ 44
7 Project Management and Governance .................................................................................. 45
8 Press Coverage and Interest .................................................................................................. 45
9 Budget .................................................................................................................................. 46
9.1. UMass Project Management, Technical Assistance, and Laboratory Analysis .................................... 46
9.2. MassDEP Staff Time .............................................................................................................................. 46
10 Outputs/Findings ................................................................................................................ 47
10.1. GIS methodologies, geodatabases, web maps tools and training ..................................................... 47
10.2. Dashboards and StoryMaps................................................................................................................ 48
10.2.1. For the Public ...............................................................................................................................................48
10.2.2. For MassDEP-UMass management: ............................................................................................................51
10.3. PFAS Sampling data description and analysis .................................................................................... 53
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 10.3.1. PWS PFAS6 Sampling Data Description .......................................................................................................53
10.3.2. Private Wells PFAS6 Sampling Data Description ..........................................................................................54
10.3.3. Statewide PFAS6 data analysis ....................................................................................................................56
10.3.4. Conclusions and recommendations.............................................................................................................61
10.3.5. Publication of an article ...............................................................................................................................62
11 Benefits of the Program ...................................................................................................... 63
12 Recommendations for MassDEP Programs, Procedures, and Regulations ............................. 66
13 Resources for More Information ......................................................................................... 67
FIGURES
Figure 1. PFAS Pathways into the environment and human exposure. .......................................................... 13
Figure 2. PFAS Strategic Roadmap................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 3. Grants in Massachusetts dashboard ................................................................................................ 18
Figure 4. Private Well ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 5. Map with the collected data layers used to identify possible sources of PFAS to date in MA ........ 32
Figure 6. MA Map showing the Targeted and Random locations invited to participate in the Program within
the 85 communities......................................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 7. Example of Western Region StoryMap shared with MassDEP regional and bureau staff for analysis
and feedback of the targeted private well invitations .................................................................................... 34
Figure 8. Example of Royalston map shared with the Board of Health and local officials.............................. 35
Figure 9. PWO registrations acceptance analysis web map tool .................................................................... 36
Figure 11. PWO postcard invitation 2 ............................................................................................................. 38
Figure 10. PWO postcard invitation 1 ............................................................................................................. 38
Figure 12. Social media graphic ....................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 13. PFAS results map tool. .................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 14. Public StoryMap: Addressing PFAS Contamination. ....................................................................... 49
Figure 15. Public dashboard: Public Water Systems Tested. .......................................................................... 49
Figure 16. Public dashboard: MassDEP Private Wells PFAS Sampling Program .............................................. 50
Figure 17. Individual Private Well PFAS6 results table summarized by community ....................................... 50
Figure 18. Public Water Systems Program internal dashboard....................................................................... 51
Figure 19. Private Wells PFAS Sampling Program internal dashboard ............................................................ 52
Figure 20. PFAS6 detections in raw water from PWS