Last Friday, Woodstock municipal manager Eric Duffy certified and distributed a Woodstock Aqueduct Company (WAC) Consumer Confidence Report for the 2024 calendar year. As stated in the report, this is “a snapshot of the quality of water that was provided in 2024 to the town. Included are details about where our water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state standards.”
Within the Consumer Confidence Report, several potential contaminants were detected. Chemical contaminants such as iron and nitrate were found in the samples collected on April 23, 2024, with the highest value of iron being 0.025 ppm, and 0.46 ppm of nitrate. These levels are far below the EPA’s safety threshold of 10 ppm.
The more concerning measurement was the detection of PFAS and PFOS found in the water supply. PFAS, also known as Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large group of man-made chemicals that can leach into water supplies. PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonate) is a sub-category of PFAS comprised of synthetic chemicals that belong to various products such as non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, and stain-resistant treatments. “PFOS and PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they are extremely persistent, water resistant, and unable to break down in the human body,” Ben Montross, Drinking Water Program Manager for the Vermont Department of Environmental Education, told the Standard this week.
Although these levels presently sit below the current safety threshold set by the EPA of 4 ppt and by the state of Vermont at 10 ppt, any amount of PFAS and PFOS found in the local water supply can be dangerous to consumers. Without tracing the origin of this contamination, however, it is unclear how long PFOS exposure will continue. According to Duffy, PFAS will be tested for every three years moving forward in compliance with state standards.
Levels of lead and copper were also present in the samples collected for this report. As of Aug. 16, 2022, both wells were found to have concentrated levels of lead equaling 15.2 ppb. The Action Level — a term utilized by the state to set a limit that, when exceeded, requires immediate action be taken by the town — is 15 ppb. This suggests that lead, most likely from galvanized pipes, corrosion of household plumbing, and erosion of natural deposits, has leached into the water supply at a rate that requires immediate action.
“We take ten samples for lead every three years, in compliance with state legislation,” Duffy said. “The testing company chooses the two highest samples, which is where the 15.2 ppb levels came from. We have taken ten new samples for lead in the last two months and found that we are now under actionable levels significantly. Our lead levels went from 15.2 to 11 ppb and now are well within the safety limit.”
“Town ownership of the aqueduct means we can now facilitate access to funding for system upgrades and improve the overall management of the water service system. We have begun allocating funds to preemptively tackle issues such as water pressure and galvanized pipes in order to create the safest drinking water for our constituents,” Duffy said.
Duffy explained, “As the town enters into their latest financial quarter, beginning July 1, a budget of $735,226.17 was just approved. This money will be allocated entirely to the water department, covering everything from salaries to testing to repairs.” Within the proposed budget, $25k has been allocated for a tank replacement, $50k allocated specifically to water reserves, and 1% of all funds will be dedicated towards maintaining and replacing water system infrastructure.
In addition to this budget approval, Duffy also shared that the town has recently been awarded a grant for $868,000 by the Northern Border Regional Commission, along with a 0% interest loan. This money will go towards capital projects, mainly the Elm Street pipe repair, and the replacement of one of the two currently existing wells utilized by the town.
For more on this, please see our July 3 edition of the Vermont Standard.
