The recent reports about PFAS contamination in our local waters are alarming and deserve our attention. To help you navigate this important issue, the Town of Nantucket has established clear guidelines for testing. Whether you’re looking to sell your home or are simply curious about how to conduct a test, following these recommendations will empower you to take action for your health and safety.
PFAS and Water Testing on Nantucket
You may have heard the widely used term PFAS, and we are here to discuss its importance to homeowners on Nantucket. PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These substances are a group of manufactured chemicals used in a variety of consumer products and industries worldwide. They are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.”
PFAS have been found to leech into surface soils, groundwater and surface water, thereby contaminating drinking water. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a variety of health risks. Notably, these risks are elevated for those who are immune-compromised, women who are pregnant or nursing, and infants. Due to there being no federal drinking water standards for any PFAS, Massachusetts and twenty-one other states have established standards for some of these chemicals.
How does this pertain to homeowners on Nantucket?
The Nantucket Board of Health adopted new Private Well Regulations on 9/21/23. Effective 1/1/24, Chapter 386 (VIII) (4) “Water Quality Testing Requirements” requires private well testing for specific substances (including PFAS) prior to the sale of a property.
Please reach out to your trusted Fisher agent with any questions or concerns and read on below.
The two tests that are required for selling your home are:
- PFAS – Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. $275 (including shipping)
- VOC testing – Total Coliform, Sodium, Iron, Copper, Manganese, pH, conductance, Nitrates, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). $200 (including shipping)
While a routine well analysis is not required, it is helpful to check total Coliform, Sodium, Iron, Copper, Manganese, pH, conductance, and Nitrates. This test is $80 (includes shipping).
If you are using the Town’s test kits and the service they offer, the water test results will be emailed to you once they are complete. We suggest performing these tests upon listing your home for sale. Test results are valid for one year prior to a property transfer.
“Samples must be taken on Tuesday morning and returned to Nantucket Health & Human Services on Tuesday morning between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Routine and Real Estate Test Kits take up to 14 business days for the results. PFAS tests can take up to 6 weeks for results.”
If you wish to hire a private company to test your water for you, there are a few to choose from, listed here:
Island Water Filtration – (508) 228-7792
RJR Water Wells – (508) 228-3542
Culligan – www.culligan.com
Envirotech: https://www.envirotechlabs.com/
Should you have any questions, the Board of Health with the Town of Nantucket has an appointee to handle all PFAS related issues. You can reach this person at: PFAS@nantucket-ma.gov or 508-228-7200 Ext. 7321
Going Forward
As smaller towns and cities come to terms with this issue, and local and federal governments enact regulations on contaminants, we will be sure to see changes coming forward. For now, we know come April, 2026, all states must establish regulations that are no less stringent than federal standards. As it stands, Massachusetts regulations, which established a PFAS6 MCL of 20 parts per trillion (ppt), are less stringent than the new federal MCLs and will be revised