CENTRAL MAINE • March 12, 2026
Concerns about PFAS, or forever chemicals, in Hallowell Water District water have been bubbling for over a year. Now, levels of forever chemicals exceed state standards, and the only access to PFAS-free water in Hallowell — without a potentially expensive filter — is a spigot at the Winthrop Street district building. More than 900 buildings in Hallowell and Farmingdale receive their water from the district, including downtown businesses. Hallowell’s drinking water source — two wells in Chelsea — are partially replenished by the Kennebec River, which is contaminated with PFAS, like most other bodies of water. Those forever chemicals don’t filter out before they reach the aquifer, and the district’s current filtration system can’t catch them, either.