This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of massachusetts to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl…

This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to the state of massachusetts to implement resources and priorities to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and emerging contaminant challenges; target resources to communities most in need of assistance to ensure that no community is left behind with unsafe, inadequate water; and advance the priorities of equity and environmental justice. The state of massachusetts will implement projects (with the use of this award funding) such as: 1. Provide grant funding to PWS and/or communities to implement long-term remedial actions to address emerging contaminants. 2. Provide equipment and supplies to increase the capacity of the massachusetts department of environmental protection (massdep) state laboratory to provide commercial laboratory certification for emerging contaminants. 3. Provide workforce development support to PWS to develop and execute workforce development activities and technical assistance and trainings to owners and operators of affected water supplies. 4. Provide funding for personnel, including the massdep drinking water program, office of general counsel, and the massachusetts state laboratory, to effectively manage and run the emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities (EC-SDC) grant program. 5. Provide funding to support the university of massachusetts amherst (umass) water institute drinking water assistance center's work regarding training and workforce development, and technical assistance, for small and/or disadvantaged communities. Activities:the activities include projects and activities to address emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities, including but not limited to research and testing; planning and design to address emerging contaminates; treatment of emerging contaminants; source water activities related to emerging contaminants; storage; water system restructuring; providing households access to drinking water services; technical assistance; outreach and education; and workforce or training support to public water systems in addressing emerging contaminants. Subrecipient:activities included through subawards include: massachusetts providing grant funding for planning, design and/or construction of long-term solutions to address PFAS and/or manganese, and/or other emerging contaminants to small or disadvantaged public water systems. Outcomes:this agreement is to an eligible state or territory to implement a program to provide assistance to address emerging contaminants in drinking water to small or disadvantaged communities. Funds are to carry out projects and activities needed for public water systems to comply with the safe drinking water act, programs to provide household water quality testing, activities for a state to respond to a drinking water contaminants, and activities that benefit the impacted communities. The anticipated deliverables include: 1. Number of public water systems (PWS) that remediate their water supplies and the population served, including: a. Number of PWS that consolidate with other PWS. B. Number of treatment plants designed, and the population served by the PWS for which they are designed. C. Number of new treatment systems constructed and installed, and the population served. D. Number of new wells developed, and the population served. E. Number of private wells connected to an existing PWS, and the population served. 2. Number of operators trained to use new equipment/technology and the population served by the PWS that employ these operators. The expected outcomes include: 1. A reduction in the number of water supplies, serving small or disadvantaged communities, providing water that is out of compliance with massachusetts' PFAS drinking water standard and a reduction in the population of massachusetts residents that are drinking water that exceeds that standard. 2. A redu