Garnet Road residents expressed shock and mounting health concerns Monday night after water testing revealed PFAS levels of 6.07 parts per trillion, significantly exceeding the new EPA safety standard of 4 parts per trillion. The revelation came during a joint session with the Water and Sewer Advisory Board, where officials struggled to balance the town's surging summer irrigation demands against the necessity of shutting down contaminated wells. Candace Martin, a resident of the affected area near the Marshfield line, voiced the neighborhood's frustration over the lack of communication. We're at 6.97 [on Garnet Road]. Five out of the six wells are over four. And this is every day. This is our water quality, Martin said.

The contamination discussion highlighted a stark divide between residential landscaping habits and public health. Jim Begley, chair of the Water and Sewer Advisory Board, noted that while the Lakeshore Well remains the only Duxbury-operated well consistently above the 4.0 limit at 4.8 parts per trillion, the Garnet Road area is particularly vulnerable because it receives water from Marshfield. Water Superintendent Mark Cloud warned that shutting down the Lakeshore Well during peak season is nearly impossible under current usage patterns. I wouldn't be able to achieve this in the summertime, Cloud said. All 10 of our wells run 20 to 24 hours a day through the hotter months because people are watering their lawns.

Member Fernando Guitart connected the high infrastructure costs of PFAS treatment—estimated to reach up to $100 million—directly to the town's aesthetic choices. Watering your green irrigating your green lawn... that's $40 million worth of green lawns then, right? Guitart asked. The human toll was underscored by Joanne Kingsley, who described a possible cancer cluster on Lakeshore Drive. In my house, four out of five of us have had cancer... that is an area that is a very neglected area part of town, Kingsley told the board. Resident Sheila Lynch Benton urged immediate action, suggesting the town provide kitchen filters similar to programs in other states. In Denver, Colorado... they give out free water filters that do 98% PFAS removal at people's kitchen... these $50 to $100 filters in your kitchen can do a lot, Lynch Benton said. Motion Made by M. McGee to convene as the Water and Sewer Advisory Board. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion Made by C. Ladd Fiorini to adjourn as Water and Sewer Advisory Board and reconvene as Selectboard. Motion Passed (5-0).

Infrastructure tensions continued as the Powder Point Bridge Advisory Committee provided a sobering update on the bridge’s rehabilitation. Committee chair Ed Mayo reported that MassDOT has largely rejected the town’s desire for a wood driving surface due to maintenance liabilities, pushing instead for steel piles and synthetic materials. I think that I've given up hope on having a wood driving surface, Mayo admitted, noting that even the steel piles would require complex coating systems to prevent visible rusting. Member Michael McGee voiced concerns regarding the project's impact on summer recreation. I'm concerned about downtime of access from Powder Point to the beach... we need a bridge up while this is going on, McGee said. Member Brian Glennon confirmed the committee is currently favoring Option A, which lacks pedestrian bump-outs to better mirror the bridge's current profile. I just want to confirm that that's what the group is looking at... Option A because that looks the closest to what we actually have today, Glennon noted.

Public comment also touched upon the town’s fiscal climate and the looming bridge costs. Richard Peters warned that failing to secure state and federal funding now would burden taxpayers later. My perception is that if we refuse to accept a free gift from the federal and state government, we're going to end up having to spend at least what we've been spending every year for the last decade, Peters said. Frank Geel questioned the board on their looming deadlines, asking, What is your decision date that you were being pressed with? The board expects a final maintenance plan and structural findings by mid-June.

The Selectboard also grappled with a slippery slope involving private construction on town property. At 7 Ocean North Road, Jack and Joy Leone sought a revocable license for a deck built within a town seawall maintenance easement without proper permits. Attorney Bob Galvin argued the homeowners were misled by their contractor, asking for leniency. The Leones asked Northern Construction... if the deck could be raised up in the same location and the northern representatives said yes, Galvin said. Joy Leone added a personal plea regarding beach access: Is there any way you can change the easement? Everyone that's on the seawall, most of us are older, can't get down these 18 steps. However, DPW Director Sheila Lynch remained firm on protecting infrastructure access. I can't think of a scenario where I would ever recommend a permanent structure in an access and maintenance easement, Lynch said. The board deferred a decision pending a formal policy review.

In administrative business, the board ratified a three-year contract renewal for Town Manager René Read, effective July 1, 2026. The agreement includes a 2% cost-of-living adjustment. Member Guitart praised Read’s 13-year tenure, noting it reflects steady leadership. Motion Made by F. Guitart to accept the Town Manager contract as presented. Motion Passed (5-0). Chair Amy MacNab also instituted a new transparency policy requiring meeting packets to be distributed to members by the Wednesday before each meeting and posted publicly online. I also would like to advocate for having our entire packets put on the website, MacNab said to reduce public record requests. Motion Made by M. McGee to appoint Michael McGee as member and Brian Glennon as alternate to the Plymouth County Advisory Board for FY27. Motion Passed (5-0).

The meeting concluded with the approval of a 10-year shellfish aquaculture license for Suzanne Caliendo. Shellfish Advisory Chair Dick Brennan noted the grant had successfully cleared a three-year probationary period. Ben Caliendo told the board the operation plans to manage roughly 500,000 oysters this year. I manage the farms at Island Creek as well, Caliendo added. Motion Made by M. McGee to approve the license renewal of Suzanne Caliendo for aquaculture lease number 0693-2 for 10 years. Motion Passed (5-0). The board also cleared event permits for the Greet Duxbury Summerfest. Organizer Lucy Scott described the June 6 event at Camp Wing, noting, we have two live bands... two food trucks, an ice cream truck, a beverage truck. Motion Made by A. MacNab to approve the event permit for Jackie Stutter for the Greet the Summerfest on June 6. Motion Passed (5-0).