Drinking Water Advocates Applaud Well Water Bill

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WORCESTER, Mass. — The Coalition for Safe Drinking Water is applauding legislation filed this month that would enable Massachusetts to develop minimum statewide water quality standards for private wells and expand a financial assistance program to remediate wells affected by PFAS ("forever chemicals") and other harmful contaminants in drinking water supplies.
 
The filing of bills SD.847 by state Sen. Jamie Eldridge of Marlborough and HD.3597 by state Reps. Natalie Blais of Sunderland, Meghan K. Kilcoyne of Clintoin and Danillo A. Sena of Acton, is not only suppported by the coalition, a grassroots group led by RCAP Solutions, but also the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts that is focused on equitable access to clean and safe drinking water.
 
There are no co-sponsors on either bill so far.
 
More than half a million Massachusetts residents — located heavily in rural areas but also in all 351 cities and towns — rely on private wells for their drinking water. Yet many are consuming water that may be unsafe because the source is not regularly tested and treated like public water supplies and could have harmful contaminants such as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), arsenic, radon, uranium and more. A 2023 poll revealed that 92 percent of residents believe that state government should play a role in ensuring safe drinking water for all.
 
"As the Legislature continues to address PFAS contamination in communities across the state this session, it's crucial that the hundreds of thousands of households relying on private well water have access to clean and safe drinking water," said Eldridge. "That's why I'm proud to once again file legislation to empower the DEP to regulate private wells and establish a program to help homeowners test their wells for dangerous contaminants."
 
The initiative gained momentum last year in the state budget process, with $100,000 appropriated to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a study and make recommendations for a statewide program to ensure that drinking water from private wells is safe to consume.  The MassDEP study is currently in progress.
 
The newly filed legislation would grant the MassDEP clear authority to establish standards and define testing requirements for new and existing wells to ensure effective implementation. Upon the sale of a home, a private well used for drinking water would have to pass a test for the transaction to be completed (similar to the state's Title 5 septic system regulations). The state would make resources available to assist eligible homeowners with the cost of well water upgrades.
 
RCAP Solutions' Private Well Program to Protect Public Health, funded by The Health Foundation, conducted more than 500 water quality tests of private wells across several Massachusetts communities from 2020 to 2022, finding that about a third of the wells contained levels of contaminants higher than state health standards or suggesting potential health risks.
 
For more information about the legislation and the Coalition for Safe Drinking Water, visit whatsinyourwellwater.org.

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Companion Corner: Cookie at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's an adventurous cat at No Paws Left Behind looking for his forever home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Cookie is a six year old grey and white domestic shorthair who has been at the shelter for a couple of months.

The shelter's Executive Director Noelle Howland introduced us to him.

"He came in, actually, with a couple other cats. It was just due to having too many cats in a house, and he came in with, we believe he might be like the father to the others. The others all were adopted over the last couple weeks, so he's the last one still here."

Cookie is a very friendly cat and he is always interested in the other cats to play or hang out. He can do well with other animals and any age but don't let his age fool you as he is still very active and very outgoing.

"He does well with other cats, he would do fine with being at home with dogs, kids. I know, like some people like seeing, a six year old cat you would think he may be not as active, but he is very active, outgoing, vocal. So, I think if you were somebody that was looking for a cat that was active and had a personality that I feel like he'd greet you at the door. He lets you know when he wants food. Really, he can go home with anything, as long as you want a cat that will let you know he's there, he'd be great."

He is quite adventurous as well. He enjoys climbing and exploring around his space. While he may be a bit shy to newcomers at first once he gets to know you he will talk to you and want to play.

"He likes to explore up high, so I think if you had a tall cat tower or windows for him to explore, he would love that, because he always is trying to get up high and get on the cabinets to see what's up there. There's not much he doesn't like, and then he can be a little like shy at first with new people, where he'll kind of go up to you and then walk away, but once he trusts you and is used to you, he's the easiest going social cat," she said.

Cookie does have a bit of a sensitive stomach and would be better if he has certain foods.

"We've tried a lamb or turkey food, and he's had a sensitivity to that, so we've been having him on just salmon and rice food, and he's been perfectly fine, no issues. So, otherwise, aside from the sensitivity, he's perfectly healthy and normal."

Cookie is waiting to be your next family member, if you want someone to talk to and lounge around with this is your boy.

"I really just think if you're looking for a social cat, he's going to be a great companion for somebody. I don't think it matters if you're… it doesn't matter your age. I think he would be happy to just have somebody keep him company and give him attention," she said.

If you think Cookie is your next companion be sure to fill out the form on their website and email or drop it off to No Paws Left Behind today.

 
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