Sudbury Getting $55M Loan For Water System Upgrades, PFAS Included

SUDBURY, MA — Sudbury has been awarded nearly $56 million in grants and low-interest loans through the state Department of Environmental Protection's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to make upgrades at treatment plants in town — including to mitigate PFAS exposure.

About $50 million will be used to make updates to the town's overall wastewater system. Close to $6 million will go to the East Street Water Treatment Facility to prevent high levels of PFAS — per-and polyfluoroalkyl pollutant — from reaching elevated levels in Sudbury.

Sudbury is among a group of cities and towns in the state that did not see elevated levels of PFAS when a new state testing requirement began in early 2021. Towns including Natick and Wayland did detect elevated PFAS levels. The state limit for PFAS is set at 20 nanograms per-liter; the Sudbury Water District detected a range from 8.3 to 20.7 when testing began in 2021.

The Sudbury Water District in 2021 began similar PFAS mitigation upgrades at the Raymond Road water treatment facility, including the addition of a filter system.

Sudbury will also use a portion of the MassDEP funds to create a water system asset management plan, which helps protect waterways and infrastructure during storm and flooding events.

"This funding will allow key investments to ensure that future generations of residents enjoy safe, clean water despite the challenges currently posed by climate change and PFAS," state Rep. Carmine Gentile said in a news release about the state funding.