Wayland Taps MWRA Water: What To Know

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland this week secured an emergency connection to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water supply, an interim step as the town plans to fully connect to the MWRA following the discovery of PFAS in 2021.

The emergency connection will allow Wayland to draw from the MWRA in case one of the town's drinking water wells isn't able to provide enough water. Town officials say this is a "short term alternative" before a planned full connection to the MWRA expected in April 2025.

Wayland began exploring an MWRA connection after PFAS chemicals were found in town wells above a new state threshold. The problem was focused on the Happy Hollow well field, where PFAS levels were close to 30 nanograms per liter (ng/l) of water compared to the state threshold of 20 ng/l. Wayland has since installed a $1.7 million filter system to remove PFAS from drinking water.

Wayland residents may notice a difference in MWRA water, which the agency pipes in from the Quabbin Reservoir. MWRA uses a chemical called chloramine — a combo of chlorine and ammonia — to disinfect water, while Wayland only uses free chlorine. Chloramine tastes less bleachy compared to regular chlorine treatment, but the chemical may be harder on older copper and lead pipes. Find out more about the treatment process from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At the same time, MWRA water has a high pH of between 9 and 9.5, which helps control the corrosion of lead pipes. One side effect of alkaline water can be a slightly more bitter taste.

The full MWRA connection process could cost Wayland an estimated $22 million. The town in February 2023 sued two major PFAS manufacturers in a bid to help recoup some of those costs.