An Engineers Raindrop Journey
by Paul Tilton, Town of Sandwich, Assistant Engineer

Imagine you're one of the pollutants…from the street at the intersection of Freemont Avenue and Knott Avenue in Sandwich, Cape Cod
A storm comes and rain falls onto the street.
As water gathers, it runs down the gutter, collecting you on the way, and washes into the Catch Basin grate
You are washed directly into a catch basin that holds water and allows time for sedimentation to filter down to the bottom. Solids float away. When a lot of water enters the catch basin at once, you are washed into . . .
This pipe, which leads you to ...
A Drain Manhole or “Access Hole”
The manhole covers the Main Inceptor, which connects all catch basin pipes
The Main Inceptor collects water from numerous CB’s, channeling you and other pollutants mixed with the water as it runs underground out to . .

The outfall at Salt marsh.  You, other pollutants, and all water collected from the main inceptor is led here to empty

 
The outfall leads you directly into the estuary
You and the water move past the boardwalk, the local swimming favorite

Eventually, the you will end up in Sandwich Harbor, along with everything collected from Freemont and Knott Avenue, and all of the other streets connected to the main inceptor pipe

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