Pantherbook: "Toxic Turf at Beaver Pond?"

Via Pantherbook:

"Have you ever played on the field at Beaver Pond in Franklin, MA? Many kids have. Little do they know, discarded turf from the field has been decomposing in the pond’s wetlands for over two years."

Continue reading the Pantherbook article online
https://franklinpanthers.us/top-stories/2019/12/11/toxic-turf-at-beaver-pond/

The Pantherbook posting was prescient as the Boston Globe published this:

"Amid growing concerns about toxic chemicals in the water supply, state regulators Friday announced significant new limits on the human-made compounds in drinking water and approved new requirements ordering polluters to clean up contaminated soil and ground water. 

The long-awaited rules come as environmental officials acknowledge that the per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS, have been found in a growing number of communities across the state. 

The chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, low infant birth weights, and a range of diseases, have been found so far in 28 of 37 municipal water systems that have provided test results to the state Department of Environmental Protection, officials said this week. Of those, 12 found that the amounts exceed the proposed standards for drinking water."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/12/13/massachusetts-issues-new-standards-for-forever-chemicals-water-supply/dz25i9Sk92QfiDl5TeSJFL/story.html

And as an update to the previously shared listing on the "turf issue":

What we know:

• The prior conversations around the field replacements (completed in 2017) were centered around the crumb rubber infill. The Town spent more for an acrylic coated infill (which apparently was installed), the issue now is NOT with the infill but the with chemicals used to treat the carpet itself.
• A third party filed a complaint with DEP about the old turf stored at the Beaver St fields
• Article in TheIntercept about PFAS found in the turf itself  https://theintercept.com/2019/10/08/pfas-chemicals-artificial-turf-soccer/
• Article in the Boston Globe alleging potential issues with the water supply and shared via Franklin Matters  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/we-will-work-with-dep-to-resolve-matter.html
• The Franklin community on Facebook reacts in the conversation around the article and issue
• Town Administrator Jamie Hellen makes statement at Town Council meeting 10/16/19 https://drive.google.com/open?id=14VSvuZvTifTbeHO4bWFtIy2YxVdjRF4O
• Updated 12/5/19 - Town Administrator Jamie Hellen makes statement at Town Council meeting 12/4/19 referring to the DEP letter https://drive.google.com/file/d/15WMp_zZiMXs_7MfpUQJd5hgtaVbrlkY_/view?usp=sharing
• Updated 12/13/19 - While PFAS in the water supply was tested by Town of Franklin once in 2018, is PFAS still being tested by ToF now? No, nor are they required to do so (although as the final testing standards issued 12/27/19 are evaluated, this may change).
• Updated 12/13/19 - What will the State do with PFAS and the recent revelations (if anything)? The State just issued new testing standards to be finalized by 12/27/19  https://www.mass.gov/lists/preview-of-the-final-pfas-related-revisions-to-the-mcp-2019

What we don’t know:

• What happened to the Conservation Commission mitigation measures from when the field was first installed (in 2004?)?
• Where was the old carpet and bags of unused infill taken?
• What will the Federal agencies do with PFAS and the recent revelations (if anything)?

bags of the acrylic coated infill ready for install at FHS in August 2017

new turf carpet being installed at Beaver St field in August 2017

“We will work with DEP to resolve the matter”

From the Boston Globe, an article on Franklin and PFAS.

"For two years, an abandoned pile of artificial turf had decomposed on a bluff here, a few feet above wetlands that are part of the suburb’s drinking water supply. Nearby, ripped bags with the infill of the turf, tiny pellets of shredded tires, littered the embankment.

Public health advocates have long raised alarms about artificial turf pellets, which simulate the give of natural grass but have been shown to contain benzene, cadmium, and other known carcinogens. Now, for the first time, a new series of tests has found that the blades, and their plastic backing, may also contain toxic chemicals.

The test results showed that the turf contained elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals known as PFAS, which have been linked to kidney cancer, low infant birth weights, and a range of diseases. The findings have raised concerns about the safety of millions of square feet of artificial turf installed in recent years on public fields and playgrounds across the country.

“This is huge. It’s the first time that PFAS chemistry used in plastic production has been found in finished consumer products,” said Jeff Gearhart, research director of the Ecology Center, a nonprofit environmental research group based in Michigan that tested the turf. “This finding is maybe the tip of the iceberg. We suspect these PFAS chemicals may be found in other plastic building and consumer products.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/10/09/toxic-chemicals-found-blades-artificial-turf/1mlVxXjzCAqRahwgXtfy6K/story.html

Kyla Bennett (left) and Tracy Stewart of Medway looked over a pile of turf in Franklin.DAVID L RYAN/GLOBE STAFF/GLOBE STAFF

For more info on PFAS from the EPA  https://www.epa.gov/pfas

Download your copy of the PFAS Infographic here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11t0xrG8FCBg4-Cc2imMiTdqsPfb_REEx/view?usp=sharing

or directly from the EPA
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-03/documents/pfasv15_2pg_0.pdf

In the News: water plant close to coming online; Girls With Impact offers scholarships

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

There is a light at the end of the town’s summer-long water treatment plant repair tunnel that has kept the town on a full water ban since July.

Department of Public Works Director Brutus Cantoreggi said Wednesday via the department’s social media that the town has all the parts needed to get its main water treatment plant up and running.

The plant at 10 Public Works Way was shut down on July 7, along with the town’s two largest and oldest wells associated with it, as a result of a fire in one of the tanks.

“We finally have all the parts needed to fully restore the water treatment plant after the fire,” Cantoreggi reported. “Our crews are currently working to install the parts and we hope to have everything ready very soon.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190926/franklin-water-plant-repairs-nearly-done

"A nonprofit organization hopes to equip 100 teen girls from low- to moderate-income families with the skills needed to launch a business, nonprofit or community project.

Girls with Impact, a group that aims to supply next-generation leaders with a strong network for both the corporate and public sectors, announced recently that it will give 100 girls scholarships to an online academy where they can learn how to build a business or nonprofit.

The deadline to apply is Monday. Applications can be submitted online at girlswithimpact.com. Scholarships are made possible by support of Eversource Energy and Boston Scientific, according to a press release.

The live, online program is designed with Harvard University experts. It guides girls through ideation to a plausible business plan. Along the way, the girls learn about concepts such as competition, targeting customers, finances and marketing."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190926/teen-girls-sought-for-online-business-program

For more about Girls With Impact  https://girlswithimpact.com/

Girls With Impact offers scholarships

In the News: health officials urge to stop vaping; supplemental spending bill to address PFAS

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"U.S. health officials on Friday again urged people to stop vaping until they figure out why some are coming down with serious breathing illnesses.

Officials have identified about 450 possible cases, including as many as five deaths, in 33 states. The count includes newly reported deaths in California, Indiana and Minnesota.

No single vaping device, liquid or ingredient has been tied to all the illnesses, officials said. Many of the sickened — but not all — were people who said they had been vaping THC, the chemical that gives marijuana its high. Many are teens.

Health officials have only been counting certain lung illnesses in which the person had vaped within three months. Doctors say the illnesses resemble an inhalation injury, with the body apparently reacting to a caustic substance that someone breathed in. Symptoms have included shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain and vomiting."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20190906/us-health-officials-report-new-vaping-deaths-repeat-warning

"A supplemental spending bill Gov. Charlie Baker plans to file on Friday will include millions of dollars in new money to help cities and towns test for and treat certain chemical contaminants in their drinking water.

The family of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected at levels above Department of Environmental Protection guidelines in public water supplies in Ayer, Barnstable, Harvard, Hudson, Mashpee, Middleton, Shirley and Westfield, according to the DEP.

DEP officials said all those communities have taken action to target PFAS, and the department is undergoing a sampling program looking for contamination in areas where PFAS has been found or is known to have been used.

The budget Baker is filing to close the books on fiscal 2019 will propose $8.4 million to test drinking water for PFAS contamination, and another $20 million to support PFAS remediation projects, according to the DEP."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190906/baker-seeking-big-outlay-to-address-water-contaminant

"The delay ... was necessary to replace damaged parts associated with the tank"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"It’s going to be a little bit longer before the town’s primary water treatment plant – shut down since July 7 – will be back in working order.

The plant was shut down, as were the town’s two oldest and largest wells associated with it, on the heels of a fire in one of the plant’s tanks, which has resulted in a summer-long, full-water ban in the town.

The ban, which prohibits all outdoor watering except for vegetable and flower gardens by hand-held hose only, remains in effect. The town has rarely instituted full watering bans.

On top of the fire-related shut downs, the DPW this week also had to shut down a third, lightly used well because E. coli was detected in an untreated sample. Officials stress that the situation is not an emergency, and assure water customers that treated water in the distribution system has remained clear of the bacteria."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190830/franklin-water-ban-continues-into-september-treatment-plant-3-wells-out-of-service

"The delay ... was necessary to replace damaged parts associated with the tank"

“We have to bring it all back online and test it”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"While repairs have begun at the town’s main water treatment plant in the aftermath of a tank fire earlier this month, it is not known when work will be completed - nor, consequently, how much longer the town will remain on a full water ban. 

DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi on Monday said the repair project, which is looking to come in under $100,000, requires a number of specialty parts that need to be special ordered. 

“The tank is currently being repaired and lined and we are sourcing replacements for the many pieces of equipment that are attached to the tank,” he indicated in an update on the work posted Monday afternoon to the DPW’s Facebook page. “All this specialized work takes time to complete. Additionally, the many repair/replacement parts that are needed are very specialized and cannot just be bought off the shelf at any hardware store.” 

Once parts are put into place, DPW workers will need to undertake thorough testing before Cantoreggi will be ready to call off the full water ban that has been in place since July 7, he said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190730/franklin-water-ban-continues-as-repairs-begin-at-treatment-plant/1

The Facebook post referenced in the article

“We have to bring it all back online and test it”

"I think people are realizing the value of water”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"It’s the season of outdoor water restrictions in Massachusetts.

But are you really going to get slapped with a fine – or even have your water shut off – if you set up a sprinkler on the wrong day of the week, as many local bylaws threaten?

According to Department of Public Works directors and data from about a dozen cities and towns in the Milford area and MetroWest, maybe, but it doesn’t happen often.

“Do you really think I want to be the water police? Absolutely not,” Franklin Director of Public Works Robert Cantoreggi said. “I look at it more as a public education type of thing.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190722/do-you-really-need-to-heed-local-water-restrictions

 

"I think people are realizing the value of water”

"Full water bans are rare in Franklin"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

In spite of widespread efforts to get the word out about a full water ban that’s in effect, not everyone is getting the message.

Public works officials reported via the DPW’s Facebook page on Monday that more than 100 homes were identified Sunday night as still running irrigation systems.

Under the ban, town water customers may not do any outdoor watering - except for watering vegetable gardens and ornamental plants by hand-held hose - until further notice as part of emergency water conservation efforts to ensure adequate water for consumption and fire suppression.

The ban was put into effect July 7 after a mechanical failure at the town’s main treatment plant late on July 6 that caused heavy smoke and forced a shutdown of the facility, in addition to the town’s two largest and oldest wells that are associated with the plant.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190717/franklin-officials-urge-compliance-of-water-ban

auto sprinkler system watering the grass during 2016 drought

Franklin residents: Time to Order Your Rain Barrel

Time to Order Your Rain Barrel!

It's that time of year again! Time to order your rain barrel!

Franklin is once again partnering with The Great American Rain Barrel Company to offer residents discounted barrels for just $69. Residents may then apply for a $50 water conservation rebate from the DPW for a total cost of only $19!! 

Order by Wednesday, September 11 and pick up at the DPW Admin Office (257 Fisher St) on Wednesday, September 18 from 4-6 PM.

Click here for more information or to order
https://www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community/

Click here for a water conservation rebate application
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/rain_barrel_rebate_application_0.pdf

rain barrels at the Franklin Community Garden

"it is important for residents to comply with the full water ban until further notice"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A stringent water ban is in effect throughout town after a mechanical failure at the main treatment plant late Saturday night caused heavy smoke and forced a shutdown of the facility, in addition to two associated wells.

Town Administrator Jamie Hellen on Monday said the ban will remain in effect until further notice, as officials work to determine the cause of the failure, assess damages and undertake necessary repairs and replacements.

“We don’t know how long this (ban) will be in effect for,” Hellen said.

The DPW put out an advisory about the ban early on Sunday, stepping up water use restrictions from the conservation measures that are always in effect and that allow all types of watering one day a week according to a schedule based on address."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190708/franklin-calls-for-full-water-ban-after-malfunction-smoke-force-main-treatment-plant-shutdown


No longer allowed during the ban are the following uses:

• Irrigation of lawns and landscaping via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems
• Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety
• Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks

Residents may continue to water gardens, flowers and ornamental plants, but with hand-held hoses only.

Franklin DPW headquarters building

Attention Franklin Residents: [DPW] water ban effective immediately

Due to a fire at treatment plant the following is in effect:

The following water uses are NOT allowed:

• Irrigation of lawns and landscaping via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
• Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety
• Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks.

The following water uses are allowed:

• Watering gardens, flowers and ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose

Violators may be fined up to $200.00

Attention Franklin Residents: [DPW] water ban effective immediately

Consumer Confidence Report: 2018 (part 3 of 3)

This is part 3 of 3 featuring sections from the Consumer Confidence Report published annually by the Franklin, MA DPW - Water and Sewer Division.
https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division

"This report describes Franklin’s drinking water sources and treated water quality for the calendar year 2018, and programs that protect the high quality of our water supply. This publication is mandated by the federal public right-to-know regulation requiring community water suppliers to provide specific treated water quality information annually to their customers. This report includes additional information beyond the minimum federal requirements in order to respond to typical questions our customers ask about Franklin’s water system."

Franklin’s Water Sources

Currently the Town of Franklin obtains its drinking water from 12 groundwater supply wells. In recent years this supply has been unable to meet peak water demands due to rapid growth and development in Franklin as well as declining water quality and capacity in some of our wells. As a result, and as required by our water withdrawal permit, annual water usage restrictions have been implemented during the spring and summer months. Franklin’s water mains have interconnections with Bellingham, Medway, Wrentham, and Norfolk. In the event of an emergency, Franklin could utilize these interconnections to maintain water pressure throughout the distribution system.

In addition to the 12 active water supply wells, the Town operates 6 booster pumping stations, 6 water storage tanks, 2,000 hydrants, 158 miles of water main and approximately 9,000 water services."

The full report can be found online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/2018_ccr_web.pdf


One of the frequent comments from residents about the amount of growth Franklin is seeing is that it is too much and will negatively affect our water supply. No, it won't. The water restrictions we have are part of the permit from the MA EPA. We have sufficient capacity. We are limited by the permit to pump less than we could.

In January 2019, Director Brutus Cantoreggi and Water Supervisor Laurie Ruszela provided an update to the Town Council. The recording of that portion of the meeting (along with the slides shown here) should answer the question on our supply.

The audio recording is found here:
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/02/fm-159-dpw-water-works-audio.html
 

Water Presentation - Jan 30, 2019 from Franklin Matters

DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi and Water Supervisor Laurie Ruszela provided an update to the Town Council, Jan 2019

Consumer Confidence Report: 2018 (part 2 of 3)

This is part 2 of 3 featuring sections from the Consumer Confidence Report published annually by the Franklin, MA DPW - Water and Sewer Division.
https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division

"This report describes Franklin’s drinking water sources and treated water quality for the calendar year 2018, and programs that protect the high quality of our water supply. This publication is mandated by the federal public right-to-know regulation requiring community water suppliers to provide specific treated water quality information annually to their customers. This report includes additional information beyond the minimum federal requirements in order to respond to typical questions our customers ask about Franklin’s water system."

Lead Information

"Since the inception of Franklin’s corrosion control program in the early 1990s, lead and copper levels have remained well below the EPA Action Levels (AL). As shown in the table on page 2, the most recent round of testing found lead levels ranging from non-detect to 3 parts per billion (ppb) (AL=15 ppb) and copper levels ranging from 0.04 to 0.47 parts per million (ppm) (AL=1.3 ppm). If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.

Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The Franklin Department of Public Works Water Division is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at epa.gov/safewater/lead



The full report can be found online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/2018_ccr_web.pdf

Franklin’s Drinking Water Treatment Process