The Duxbury Board of Health received a sobering briefing from the Safe Water Committee regarding the town’s multi-year plan to address PFAS contamination in the public water supply. A committee representative detailed a massive design process aimed at a 2029 state-mandated deadline, cautioning that the project will likely cost $100 million. It's going to be a long, painful, very expensive process, the representative stated, noting that the Select Board intends to fund the initiative through the water enterprise account. This shift means residents should anticipate annual water rate increases, with billing moving to a quarterly schedule. The Board Chair emphasized the scale of the undertaking, noting, I want to go back to the PFAS project... this is the hundred-million-dollar project, while board member Dee questioned the logistics of the new billing, asking, So the water bills are going to come out four times a year?

The conversation shifted to the environmental remediation of the McNeel dump, where consultants estimate a $6 million to $7 million cost to cap the seven-acre site over two years. The project will also incorporate an old, uncapped portion of the town landfill discovered during recent assessments. While future uses like playing fields or solar panels are under discussion, concerns were raised regarding Holtec’s ongoing operations at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. Although Holtec recently lost an appeal to discharge wastewater into the bay, the committee warned that contaminants are currently being evaporated into the air. The same level of contaminants are being evaporated as steam going up the main stack unfiltered, the representative warned, explaining that wind and rain could bring those particles back to land.

In local infrastructure matters, Freeman Boone presented a repair plan for a hydraulically failed septic system at 607 Temple Street. Because of the property's constraints, Boone requested a variance to place the system roughly 100 feet from wetlands. I'm putting the septic system basically as far as I can from the resource area, Boone told the board, explaining that the design maximizes the distance while meeting other state requirements. Motion Made by the Chair to grant a variance to Duxbury supplementary rules and regulations 1.101.101A allowing the proposed soil absorption system to be located 100.8 feet from a wetland versus the required 150 feet. Motion Passed 3-0. The board noted the site is not in a protected zone and the system is not designed for a garbage grinder.

Health Agent Lauren concluded the meeting with an update on a rising trend of "housing emergencies" involving hoarding and squalor, which have led to three home condemnations since July. She proposed forming a regional task force with neighboring towns like Kingston to share resources and grant opportunities for mental health support and biohazard cleaning. It would be nice to have resources to help people, just point them in the right direction, Lauren said. A male board member voiced his support for the collaboration, stating, I think it's a good idea for health leaders on the South Shore to band together. Lauren also warned residents that new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are often being stalled by septic systems that were never sized to handle unpermitted garbage grinders. The meeting was adjourned at 7:38 p.m.