Town of Poolesville staff and consultants continue to monitor and research treatment options to remove the PFAS from drinking water wells, according to an update on the town website. This comes approximately two months after PFAS were detected in the water samples collected from wells 2 and 3 approximately two months ago. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are a group of over 5,000 human made compounds. Used since the 1940s, PFAS compounds can be in a wide range of consumer and industrial products and processes. PFAS released to the air, soils, ground- or surface water can enter into nearby drinking water sources.
Per the Town of Poolesville: Wells #2 and #3 remain offline. We are sampling all wells with the assistance of Senior Scientist Kathy Mihm, EPA and MDE. We have also identified a Granular Activated Carbon Filtration System that can be sized and used on the 2 wells. We are in the process of obtaining permission from MDE to pilot test the treatment system and identify the parameters needed for data collection. The process is rather slow as this is new to MDE so we are at the mercy of their timetable.
The Commissioners were briefed of updates at their February 6th meeting. A Budget line item for PFAS remediation was created and an initial funding budget of $95,000 was set to continue sampling, research and the pilot test. Future budget discussions will take place as the FY2024 Budget is drafted. Staff will continue to update residents as things progress.
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