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Natick PFAS water filters up and running

April 26, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Natick Department of Public Works Water/Sewer Division is fired up that its new filters, seen at the Springvale Water Treatment Facility on Rte. 9 east, are now extracting nasty chemicals from the town’s drinking water.

(If only those systems could filter acronyms out of town announcements, but I guess that’s our job…)

“After much hard work and coordination between contractors and Town staff, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has completed inspections and granted approval for the operation of the newly installed PFAS-removal Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters, which will treat the H&T portion of the Springvale Water Treatment Facility….”

The bottom line is that the filters are expected to reduce levels of PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from the town’s drinking water down to the non-detection level. Initial tests look good, according to the DPW. Two additional filters should be up by summer to increase PFAS-free water supply in town.

By meeting state regulations thanks to the filters. Natick will longer suggest using bottled water for certain subgroups of the population.

Natick discovered elevated levels of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the town’s drinking water during the process of getting a new well online in 2020. Since then the town has been taking actions, including a water ban and tapping wells usually off limits at certain times, to mitigate the problem.

The filters, funded through a $3M capital appropriation at 2021 Spring Town Meeting and emergency funding through the state, are designed to extract PFAS from 2 million gallons of water a day and allow the plant to pump out 4 million gallons of water by mixing in other clean water.

Natick has also begun researching the cause of PFAS in the water.

PFAS filters on Rte 9 DPW

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Filed Under: Government, Health

Get rid of your unneeded drugs at take back event in Natick

April 26, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Drug Enforcement Agency’s drug take back events are taking place on April 30 from 10am-2pm at the Natick Police Department and Natick Mall.

Download (PDF, 196KB)


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Filed Under: Government, Health

Don’t scrap that summer vacay, but Natick could have a preliminary Select Board election in August

April 21, 2022 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

The Natick Select Board this week laid out a plan to fill the vacancy opened when Karen Adelman-Foster recently announced her resignation.

Town Clerk Diane Packer outlined two basic options: Schedule a special election or wait until March of 2023, when the term ends. The Board would be required to go the special election route if presented with 200 certified signatures from the public advocating for this. Packer noted that in the town’s charter is a requirement regarding elections to set out a timeline that would include a preliminary election if the number of nomination papers filed exceeds twice the number of people to be elected (so 3 or more nomination papers in this case). The preliminary election would need to be exactly 28 days before the special election.

Among the considerations for setting a date were mixing in an election for this office alongside state primary and state elections scheduled for Sept. 6 and Nov. 8. Separate ballots, check-ins, etc., are required, so this is doable, but not without logistical challenges, Packer said. It’s also unclear whether vote-by-mail will be allowed by the state by that point, though it’s considered likely.

The further out any such election would take place, you start getting near the nomination paper availability for the annual March Town Election. But the sooner you do it, you’re talking about possibly having at least a preliminary election over the summer.

“We’re not in a great spot here in terms of our options, and that’s just the way it is,” Select Board member Michael Hickey said, referring to the timing of preliminary and special elections.

Initially the Board seemed reluctant to consider a summer date for a preliminary or special election. But there’s a good chance there won’t even be a need for a preliminary election, and in the end, the Board voted in favor of holding such an election if needed on Aug. 16. The special election would be Sept. 13. Having it sooner than later would give the new Select Board member at least a little while longer in office before the term ends in March.

Select Board Chair Paul Joseph said having the preliminary election, if needed, in August, and the special election in September should still give candidates time to decide to run and then campaign. The bonus for anyone winning the seat would be they’d likely have momentum if they choose to run in March for a full term.

“The sooner we get this on the radar of people the better,” Select Board member Bruce Evans said, in agreeing with Joseph’s proposal. Hickey concurred: “Once we’re getting into the middle of October, you start to reach the ‘What’s the point’ window” of joining the board.

Three candidates ran for two slots on the Select Board in the recent March election.


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Filed Under: Government

Natick Business Buzz: Marijuana courier to make its pitch; Vet clinic property sold; IMAX 3D Theater hiring; Town eyes Golden Triangle recovery

April 20, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Marijuana courier Your Green Package to make its pitch

Your Green Package will make its pitch to the Natick Select Board on April 20 to secure a host community agreement that would enable the marijuana courier service to operate from 16 Tech Circle from 8am-9pm.

Since launching in the state in July, the company has increased its deliveries per month to more than 2,600. It says it is delivering cannabis products from partner companies like Garden Remedies and NETA in the areas of Greater Boston, Franklin, and Northampton. It’s not allowed to deliver in communities that have bans in place (so it could deliver in Natick, but not Wellesley, for example).

Recreational marijuana businesses ReLeaf Alternatives (Rte. 9 west) and Cypress Tree Management, aka, Redi, (Cloverleaf Mall) have been given the town’s blessing to open shops in Natick, but are still working toward that end.

A marijuana dispensary called Bountiful Farms is already up and running in Natick. A testing lab called Kaycha has also opened its doors at Tech Circle, the area where Your Green Package plans to operate from.

More on Your Green Package from MetroWest Daily News.

Vet clinic property sold

Worcester Business Journal reports that the Wellesley-Natick Veterinary Hospital’s property on Rte. 9 west has been sold for $2.44M. The 359 Worcester St. property was sold by the clinic’s founder, according to the report, but it’s unclear whether any changes will happen at the veterinary hospital itself. On its website, it continues to welcome new patients.

Wellesley-Natick Veterinary Hospital

Jordan’s hiring for IMAX 3D Theater

The IMAX Theaters at Jordan’s Furniture in Natick and Reading have been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are signs the theaters will re-open ahead of the summer based on the fact that hiring fairs are scheduled (Patch reports the opening date will be May 27, in time for Top Gun: Maverick‘s release).

A Natick hiring fair for theater attendants and guest services reps will take place at Jordan’s off of Rte. 9 west on May 4 from 4:30-6:30pm.

Town eyes Golden Triangle recovery

Natick continues its effort to rethink and revamp the Golden Triangle, a 940-acre area in Natick and Framingham known for its shopping malls bordered by major highways and roadways. A 2018 study by the communities and consultants identified challenges such as traffic, and competing vs. online shopping, and now Natick is ready to start implementing changes, according to Director of Community & Economic Development Amanda Loomis, who is promising regular updates to the Select Board.

Areas of focus will include: Rezoning (possibly reduced parking requirements, allowing for expanded uses); addressing infrastructure issues, such as stormwater concerns; transportation issues and opportunities, including leveraging access to the rail trail; and


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Filed Under: Business, Government

Natick sweeps us off our feet

April 14, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Thanks to Natick’s Public Works team for sweeping the streets clean in parts of town this week. The Easter crowd will be wowed.

street sweeper

street sweeper

In Natick’s 2020 Annual Report (most recent), the town said its annual street sweeping took longer than usual, and “as a result we finished in June and collected approximately 1,200 tons of debris.” In fact, Natick swept our area in October of that year due staffing and other issues. The sweeping is usually wrapped up in April/May.


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Filed Under: Environment, Government

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Most Read Posts

  • From BYOB to seating rules, big changes for Natick alcoholic beverage licenses up for discussion
  • Natick IMAX 3D theater reopening on May 27 with Top Gun: Maverick
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