The town announced that a public forum will be held next Tuesday (May 16) at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall on the proposed use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) filtration system for the municipal water supply.

[Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to show that the session is a public forum and not a hearing during a Select Board meeting.]

Town Manager Norman Khumalo is seeking public input regarding expending $1,187,000 of the ARPA grant awarded by the United States Department of Treasury, to be administered by the town manager, from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF) in the Treasury of the United States established by Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The project will add two filtration vessels at Well 6 on Fruit Street. This new treatment system is designed to treat PFAS6 levels below current detection levels. This level of treatment will meet Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) safe drinking water standards for both the current and pending maximum contaminant levels for PFAS6.

Construction plans for the project will be available for review in the Town Clerk’s Office at Town Hall, located at 18 Main Street, as well as online (check the town’s website).

Tuesday’s forum will be held in Room 215/216 at Town Hall. Remote participation is available via Zoom.