BOSTON — Included in the fiscal 2025 budget signed into law Monday by Gov. Maura Healey is $100,000 allotted to the state Department of Environmental Protection to create a study to determine how best to test private wells for contaminants.
The study would determine how to test the 200,000 private wells in the state that serve more than a half-million residents. Most are located in Central and Western Massachusetts, but communities on Cape Cod and the islands also rely on well water, drawn from shallow aquifers that can be contaminated by fertilizers and septic systems.
These need to be tested for contaminants ranging from heavy metals to PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been linked to cancer, advocates said.
“This is an important first step,” said Amie Shei, president and CEO of the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts , which supports legislation that would require the state to oversee the cleanliness of the water supply.
“Safe drinking water is something many of us take granted, yet the reality is that nearly half a million Massachusetts residents rely on unregulated drinking water from private wells that could be contaminated and potentially cause negative health impacts,” Shei said. “This funding is an important investment toward ensuring that all Massachusetts residents have access to safe drinking water regardless of where they live.”