Nantucket PFAS Well Project

Nantucket PFAS Well Project

In 2023, the Nantucket Land & Water Council launched the Nantucket PFAS Pilot Well Project in collaboration with the Nantucket PFAS Action Group, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Michigan, WRAFT, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. This project was designed to evaluate a new screening method (known as PIGE) that detects total fluorine as an indicator of PFAS in drinking water.

Through this effort, more than 250 private wells across Nantucket were sampled, helping to build a broader understanding of PFAS presence across the island. Results indicated that many wells contain relatively low levels of PFAS. However, the study also found that the current version of the PIGE method is not yet sensitive enough to reliably detect PFAS at these low concentrations. As a result, individual test results were not released, as they did not meet the data quality standards required to ensure accurate and meaningful interpretation.

While this outcome was not what we had initially hoped, the project provided valuable scientific insight and helped identify key areas for improving detection limits, an important step toward the development of more accessible and affordable PFAS screening tools in the future.

PFAS contamination remains a public health concern, and continued testing is critical both for individual well owners and for improving the Town’s understanding of PFAS distribution across Nantucket.

In the meantime, certified laboratory testing remains the most reliable method for assessing PFAS in drinking water. To ensure that cost is not a barrier, the NLWC has established a PFAS Well Testing Reimbursement Program. With support from NLWC Water Fund donors, ReMain Nantucket, and the Madaket Conservation Association, this program offers financial assistance to eligible project participants to complete certified PFAS testing through the Town of Nantucket’s Department of Health & Human Services.



For questions or more information, please contact pfasprogram@nantucketlandwater.org