Lawmakers hear calls for larger water, wastewater and PFAS allocations as federal support wanes

What happened: Secretaries from the administration described multiple line items for water infrastructure in the Mass Ready Act, including a $385,000,000 authorization for drinking water and wastewater upgrades, a proposed $250,000,000 recapitalization for SRF/clean water trust activities, and $120,000,000 to address PFAS remediation and testing for wells.

Why it matters: Water suppliers, municipal managers and environmental advocates told the committee the state’s needs exceed those authorizations. Jennifer Peterson of the Massachusetts Water Works Association said recent Clean Water Trust commitments and federal grant dynamics show large unmet needs; the EPA’s proposed new PFAS standard will require significant capital upgrades in many systems. Administration witnesses noted the difference between bond authorizations and actual borrowing capacity, but water professionals said the scale is still insufficient.

Details and debate: Administration testimony emphasized the multiplier effect of the revolving fund model, but municipal officials and water industry representatives pointed to specific pressures: newer PFAS rules, the need to replace aging pipes, lead service line work, and nitrogen‑related wastewater projects. Witnesses cited Clean Water Trust commitments already in place and said many public water systems may face high capital costs for compliance; DEP officials on the panel noted priority ranking processes for SRF cycles and PFAS as a priority but acknowledged funding uncertainty from the federal level.

Requests from the field: The Massachusetts Municipal Association and water organizations asked the committee to broaden eligibility for grants to include core utility upgrades and system redundancy, to commit larger bond authorizations for SRF recapitalization, and to articulate clear prioritization for PFAS work so municipalities can plan. Several legislators asked for more exact accounting of the unused authorizations from the 2018 bond and how quickly prior authorizations had been programmed into the five‑year capital plan.

Next steps: Water utilities and municipal leaders will continue to press the committee for larger authorizations and to clarify whether the $120,000,000 PFAS line is targeted to public water systems, private well mitigation, or both. Administration officials said more detailed program rules and project ranking would be developed in subsequent implementation steps.