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An Act Promoting Drinking Water Quality for All (HD.3322/SD.2387) was filed in January by Senator Jamie Eldridge, Representative Dan Sena, and Representative Smitty Pignatelli in partnership with the Foundation’s Synergy Initiative Round 5 project, the Private Well Program to Protect Public Health led by RCAP Solutions. The legislation would enable MassDEP to develop minimum statewide private well protections and also provide financial assistance to low-income homeowners in need of remediation for contaminated wells. Currently, there are no statewide private well regulations, though public water systems are regulated by the state and subject to routine monitoring. From 2020-2022, this Synergy Initiative project tested 500+ private wells across the state and found that ~32% of wells had levels of contaminants exceeding state health standards and/or suggesting potential health risks.
These efforts have received media coverage in early 2023:
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