Another MA town finds drinking water contaminated with toxic PFAS

The City of Cambridge announced on Aug 26 that they will temporarily begin sourcing its water from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) starting Tuesday, August 30, 2022 due to rising levels of toxic PFAS contamination.

Sadly, Cambridge has joined the growing list of more than 80 cities and towns that have learned their public water system has been contaminated with PFAS. 

PFAS are a class of chemicals that make things non-stick, stain resistant, and waterproof and can be toxic at very low levels, increasing risk of cancer, immunosuppression, and other diseases.

Nicknamed “forever chemicals,” PFAS are persistent, bio-accumulative chemicals that don’t break down in the environment.  As we keep making, using and discarding things with PFAS, these chemicals keep building up, in the environment and our bodies.

Massachusetts should follow the lead of many states including our neighbors in Maine, New York, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut in banning and/or restricting PFAS in consumer products, food packaging,  firefighting gear and personal care products.