New information about PFAS levels in the county and state’s soils and water sources that have been tested by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is available on the agency’s website.

While many communities in Washington County will find that levels are below the 20 parts per trillion (ppt) threshold established by the state as a safe level, others, such as sections of Cutler, have concerning levels.

In Washington County there are 14 known septage land application sites and six utilization sludge sites stretching from Cherryfield to Indian Township, with licensing going back to the 1990s or before. The Maine DEP defines sludge as a solid, semi solid or liquid waste generated from a wastewater treatment process as well as from dewatered septage from septic tank systems.

At the time, federal and state governments encouraged the spreading of these waste products for agricultural fertilizer, among other reasons. However, over the last few years the multiple toxicities of the PFAS class of chemicals has come to the fore.