Easton offering PFAS-free water at a self-service station

Easton’s Water Division is offering residents PFAS-free water at a self-service filling station on the side of the municipal department’s building.

Known as “forever chemicals” because they never fully break down in the environment, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been linked to cancer, compromised immune systems, and a range of diseases.

New state standards established by the Department of Environmental Protection in October 2020 set a low level for PFAS allowed in drinking water, and two of Easton’s seven water supply wells exceed the level, according to a statement from the Easton Water Division.

In May of 2021, Easton’s Town Meeting approved capital funding of $9.2 million for the final design and construction of PFAS treatment filter plants, which the Water Division said would resolve the problem and be completed in approximately 18 months.

In the meantime, the Water Division installed a self-service water filling station dispensing purified water with PFAS levels below the state standard. The water is available to pregnant or nursing women, infants, people with compromised immune systems, and other concerned residents.

Since the filling station opened on June 9, it has dispensed 50 gallons a day, on average, according to a spokeswoman for the Water Division.

Johanna Seltz can be reached at [e-mail].