Town Manager Michael Borg and Public Health Director Anne Marie Fleming announce a Fish Advisory following the discovery of PFAS in the north basin of Falls Pond.
The town received a Fish Consumption Advisory from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health on Thursday, May 23. This indicated that elevated levels of PFAS were found in fish from the north basin of Falls Pond.
Testing showed that the levels of PFAS found in the fish were higher than the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) action level of 0.22 parts per billion. Daily fish consumption at those levels may pose health concerns for community members.
Previous testing results from February 2023 also indicated the presence of mercury in fish at both Falls and Whitings Ponds.
As a result, the DPH and town recommend the following:
- Children under the age of 12 and those who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant should not eat largemouth bass from Falls Pond and limit consumption of other fish from Falls Pond to one meal every six months.
- The general population should limit consumption of all fish to one meal every two months.
Please note that these recommendations also apply to any fish in Whiting’s Pond fish due to mercury contamination.
The advisory notice has been posted at Falls Pond Beach and the fishing location on Reservoir Road.
Residents are advised that the Massachusetts Department of Enviromental Protection notified the town that it is safe to swim in Falls Pond even with the current PFAS level.
For additional information, call the Department of Public Health at 617-624-5757 or the North Attleborough Health Department at 508-699-0100 ext. 2560.
