HomeMy WebLinkAboutTom Cambareri Pages from PFAS in Surface and Water Supply Wells Barnstable Sept 2021PFAS Distribution in Select Sole Source Consulting
Waters of Barnstable, MA December 2020 Page i
FINAL REPORT
The Distribution and Composition of PFAS in Select Water Supply Wells and
Surface Waters of Barnstable, MA
Hydrogeological Tech Report #1
Prepared for
Hans Keijser, Supervisor
DPW Water Supply Division
Old Yarmouth Road
Hyannis, Ma 02601
Prepared by
Tom Cambareri
Sole Source Consulting, LLC
62 Joan Road
Centerville, MA 02632
December 31, 2020
Updated September 20, 2021
PFAS Distribution in Select Sole Source Consulting
Waters of Barnstable, MA December 2020 Page ii
Executive Summary
Since the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Hyannis Water System, the Town of
Barnstable DPW Water Supply Division (WSD) has taken measures to implement treatments to remove PFAS to
non-detect levels. To meet future demands the WSD has begun the process of investigating new well sources.
To supplement known data on PFAS concentrations in public water supplies, WSD requested that Sole Source
Consulting conduct a study of a selection of ponds and other surface water bodies in Barnstable. Sole Source
Consulting sampled 21 surface water bodies in Barnstable. PFAS compounds were present in every surface
water body tested and of the 24 compounds analyzed, 11 were detected.
The Hyannis area ponds; St. Francis Pond, Fawcetts Pond, Aunt Bettys Pond, Bens Pond, Dunns Pond, and the
Hyannis and Yarmouth Creeks are significantly impacted with PFAS with an average Total PFAS of 200 ng/l,
ranging from 138 ng/l to 252 ng/l with PFAS6 ranging from 159ng/l to 71 ng/l. A second tier of ponds to the
north and west of the WPCF; Shallow Pond, Fresh Hole Pond, Indy Pond-West, Gooseberry, Wequaquet,
Hathaways and Long Pond have an average Total PFAS concentration of 28 ng/l, ranging from 51ng/l to 13ng/l
with PFAS6 concentrations ranging from 30ng/l to 11ng/l. A third tier of Ponds tested in remote areas away
from the Hyannis area including Spruce, Garrets, Joshua, Eagle, Shubaels, and Mystic have an average Total PFAS
concentration of 13 ng/l, ranging from 29ng/l to 3 ng/l with PFAS6 ranging from 14ng/l to Non-Detect and
generally no detections of PFOS.
WSD analyzed their eleven wells for PFAS concentrations in groundwater using the same A2-537 isotope method
for 24 PFAS compounds. These results, plus previously gathered data from the five Barnstable Fire District (BFD)
wells were used to assess the overall occurrence of PFAS in the Hyannis area. Total PFAS and PFAS6
concentrations in WSD wells ranged from 854 ng/l to 61 ng/l and 526 ng/l to 50 ng/l with an average PFAS6 of
211 ng/l. The Mary Dunn Wells 2 and 3 under direct influence of the Barnstable County Fire Training Academy
PFAS plume, and the Airport Well, detected the highest concentrations of PFAS6 at 274 ng/l, 526 ng/l and 466
ng/l, respectively. The Maher Wells with concentrations ranging from 274 ng/l to 190 ng/l is downgradient of
both the BCFTA and Municipal Airport . The Hyannis Port Wellfield consisting of the Straightway, Simmons Pond
and Hyannisport wells have lower PFAS6 concentrations ranging from 122 ng/l to 58 ng/l. The Hyannis Port
Wellfield is downgradient of the WPCF with contribution from septic systems. PFAS6 concentrations in BFD
wells were no higher than 23 ng/l. The Mass-DEP drinking water standard for the PFAS6 is 20 ng/l. All WSD
wells are treated to non-detect for PFAS.
The presence and composition of PFAS in wells and ponds in the Hyannis area are strikingly similar indicating
that the use of ponds is a good surrogate for evaluating groundwater quality. PFAS from the primary sources of
groundwater contamination at the BCFTA and Airport that impacted supply wells was subsequently transported
by the water system and redistributed by the WPCF and Hyannis area septic systems as secondary sources. As a
result, the range of PFAS concentrations in the Town’s surface waters is positively correlated to the proximity
and distance to the WPCF and high-density septic systems in the Hyannis area.
While the WSD is taking necessary steps to treat PFAS in drinking water to non-detect levels now, PFAS known
as “forever compounds” will persist for decades in contaminated soils and groundwater challenging the
selection of clean sites for future water supply. By taking account of the extent of PFAS in surface waters and
wells and the behavior of contamination plumes from multiple sources, several future well sites can be ruled
out. For example, two of the most convenient potential future well sites located within Hyannis, thus requiring
the shortest transmission mains, have a high degree of risk because of the presence of multiple PFAS sources.
PFAS Distribution in Select Sole Source Consulting
Waters of Barnstable, MA December 2020 Page 11
Table 3 Summary PFAS Detected in Ponds Arranged High to Low by Tier and Total PFAS (ng/l).
The Tier 1 Group has the highest Total PFAS concentrations due to the redistribution of PFAS
through the WPCF and septic systems. The highest Total PFAS surface water concentration of
252 ng/l is found in Hyannis Creek which flows into Aunt Bettys Pond (Figure 5). The creek is a
perennial groundwater-fed creek that is downgradient from the WPCF in its mapped and
projected effluent plume within an area of unsewered development. The Total PFAS and PFOS
concentrations in St Francis, Aunt Bettys, Fawcetts, Dunns and Bens Pond and creek average of
200ng/l and 48 ng/l respectively and range from 252 ng/l to 138 ng/l and 75 ng/l to 29 ng/l
respectively. The percent of PFOS in the Hyannis area surface waters is generally high ranging
from 31 to 21%. PFOS is a prime constituent of ECF-AFFF, indicating these high percentages
are linked to the primary sites and the redistribution PFAS through the WPCF and septic
systems. The only two occurrences in surface waters of the Telomerization-AFFF derived 6:2
PONDS PFOS PFOA SUM of 6 Total PFAS % PFOS % PFOA PFCAs PFSAs
HYANNISCREEK 75.0 28.8 159.3 252.4 30% 11% 128.98 123.44
AUNT BETTYSPOND 56.8 28.6 141.4 237.9 24% 12% 131.38 106.50
FAWCETS POND 63.2 23.6 132.2 217.8 29% 11% 120.68 97.09
DUNNS POND 10.1 7.8 44.4 177.1 6% 4% 117.35 59.70
ST FRANCISPOND 51.6 23.0 104.6 167.9 31% 14% 91.39 76.55
BENS POND 29.2 18.5 71.4 138.0 21% 13% 81.34 56.70
Average 47.7 21.7 108.9 198.5 23% 11% 111.9 86.7
SHALLOW POND 11.6 5.4 30.0 50.9 23% 11% 29.30 21.60
FRESH HOLE POND 3.4 5.1 14.8 44.1 8% 12% 35.51 8.63
INDY PARK WEST 5.2 5.0 17.0 43.2 12% 11% 31.10 12.06
LONG POND CVILLE 5.2 4.6 14.3 24.5 21% 19% 14.93 9.58
HATHAWAYS POND 2.2 4.2 14.4 21.9 10% 19% 16.03 5.86
GOOSEBERRY POND 2.9 4.0 11.1 19.8 15% 20% 12.88 6.95
WEQUAQUET 3.3 3.5 6.8 13.3 25% 26% 9.93 3.34
LITTLE HATHAWAYS ND ND ND 2.8 0% 0% 2.81 0.00
Average 4.8 4.5 15.5 27.6 14% 15% 19.1 8.5
SPRUCE POND ND ND ND 29.2 0% 0% 29.20 0.00
JOSHUA POND ND 3.3 6.9 23.7 0% 14% 23.67 0.00
MYSTIC LAKE 13.9 ND 13.9 13.9 100% 0% 0.00 13.90
EAGLE POND ND 3.5 3.5 11.5 0% 31% 9.58 1.92
SHUBAELS POND ND 2.7 2.7 4.9 0% 56% 4.87 0.00
MMILLSRIVER ND 2.2 2.2 4.2 0% 52% 4.23 0.00
GARRETSPOND ND 2.5 2.5 2.5 0% 100% 2.51 0.00
Average 13.9 2.9 5.3 12.8 14% 36% 10.6 2.3
By Others PFOS PFOA PFAS-6 % PFOS % PFOA
FLINTROCK 2700 to 266 160 to 24 6850 to 414 39% 2%
MARY DUNN POND 150 to 82 12 to 11 224 to 188 67% 5%
MILL CREEK 45 13 104 43% 13%
LEWISPOND 12 4.6 40.5 30% 11%
Tier2
Tier3
Tier 1
PFAS Distribution in Select Sole Source Consulting
Waters of Barnstable, MA December 2020 Page 12
FTS are in Hyannis Creek at 2.86 ng/l and Mill Creek, on the Yarmouth Line at 30.02 ng/l (see
discussion on streams below). The percentage of PFOA in the Hyannis Area Ponds, ranges from
11 to 14% and averages 12% lower than PFOS. PFOA is prevalent in numerous residential and
commercial products.
Figure 5 Map of the Total PFAS compounds in Barnstable Surface Waters (open symbols denote data
from others)
The Second Tier of Ponds are located to the northwest and northeast of the WPCF. Theyhave
Total PFAS concentrations ranging from 50.9 to 2.8 ng/l. Th Total PFAS average concentration
of 27.5 ng/l is lower than the Hyannis pond group with an average Total PFAS of 198.5 ng/l. The
average PFOS in these ponds of 4.8 ng/l is an order of magnitude less than the Tier 1Hyannis
area ponds of 47.7 ng/l. Little Hathaways is an outlier with no PFOS detected and the lowest
Total PFAS. Hathaways Pond in comparison has a Total PFAS of 29.2 and nominal PFOS of 2.2
ng/l. Hathaway Pond has a much greater depth and volume than Little Hathaways indicating it
has a greater groundwater input resulting in high PFAS concentrations.
Shallow Pond has the highest PFAS concentrations at 30 ng/l Total PFAS and 12 ng/l PFOS. The
other Tier 2 Ponds are appreciably lower that Shallow Pond. Shallow Pond is closest to the
WPCF with dense development along its northern shore served by the WSD. the percent of
PFAS Distribution in Select Sole Source Consulting
Waters of Barnstable, MA December 2020 Page 16
Figure 7 Bar Chart of Total PFAS compounds in Barnstable Surface Waters
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Total PFAS in Surfacewaters by Highest Total Concentration
Sum of (6:2FTS)
Sum of (PFNA)
Sum of (PFPeS)
Sum of (PFHpS)
Sum of (PFDA)
Sum of (PFHpA)
Sum of (PFHxA)
Sum of (PFBS)
Sum of (PFPeA)
Sum of (PFBA)
Sum of (PFOS)
Sum of (PFOA)
Sum of (PFHxS)