The town will host a community forum regarding PFAS chemicals and related substances next Tuesday.

Representatives of the Department of Public Works and the Board of Health will give a presentation and discuss questions related to PFAS in drinking water. The forum will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Betty Strong Room of the Hopkinton Public Library.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, are chemicals used in water-resistant, stain-resistant and non-stick products, such as Teflon. Sometimes labeled as “forever chemicals,” these substances are water soluble and hard to break down. According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, this often results in PFAS chemicals leeching into groundwater and contaminating drinking water.

Hopkinton’s drinking water has been affected by PFAS. To mitigate some of the issue, DPW installed a treatment system at Well 6, which was approved by MassDEP last June. Meanwhile, the town has looked to other sources of drinking water, such as a connection to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

A presentation shared by Health Director Shaun McAuliffe points to possible contamination sources in town such as aqueous film-fighting foam used in firefighter training, an industrial facility located outside of Hopkinton and areas where reconstituted sludge was applied as fertilizer.

Tuesday’s forum is the latest effort by the town to educate residents on PFAS. McAuliffe and DPW Director Kerry Reed held another forum last May to provide similar information and updates to the town’s remediation efforts.