Why do so many Mass. communities have contaminated drinking water? “Certain PFAS chemicals can stay in our bodies for years.” 1 Since Massachusetts enacted new drinking water regulations last fall, some towns have found elevated levels of certain chemicals in their water sources. In October 2020, Massachusetts began mandating water testing for levels of six PFAS chemicals, a class of chemicals widely used in the manufacturing of common products that are linked to negative health outcomes. Testing results recently became available from around half of the public water sources and, according to the Boston Globe, 20% of them found PFAS levels above the state’s limit.