The Chatham CWMP is truly the first town-wide plan to be completed that incorporates the state and federal TMDLs to restore coastal water quality for several large coastal embayments. The CWMP/FEIR provides a strategy for wastewater management and reductions of nitrogen loading to restore and protect Chatham’s marine embayments, addresses other Areas of Concern (areas experiencing high groundwater, failing systems, and industrial/commercial areas) and includes an Adaptive Management Plan for its implementation.
The CWMP/FEIR details a two-phased implementation program to meet nitrogen Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) in Stage Harbor, Pleasant Bay, Sulphur Springs, and Taylors Pond. Phase 1 actual wastewater flows are projected to be an average annual of 0.94 mgd. The actual Phase 2 wastewater flows will be 38 percent more than Phase 1, for an annual average flow of 1.3 mgd over thirty years. The extension of sewers to the remaining part of the town will take another 10 years with an estimated completion date of 2040.
The estimated Phase 1 costs are $210 million dollars (in 2007 dollars) over the initial 20 years. The town has adopted a number of innovative approaches for funding the project. The town has established a Capital Facilities Plan with the goal of not having to raise the tax rate. However, it is acknowledged that modest tax increases will be necessary to meet the costs of the proposed plan. Expected homeowner charges are estimated at $3,000 to $10,000 for hook-up and $400 for annual operation and maintenance.
The state and the Cape Cod Commission reviewed this 11-year long project as a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) in 2008 and as a Final EIR (FEIR) in 2009. An expanded Adaptive Management Plan scope was part of the conditions of it DRI approval by the Commission which included components of Implementation Progress, Groundwater Discharge Permit monitoring and monitoring of marine waters for TMDL compliance.  The Final Adaptive Management Plan will be submitted to the Commission two years after the DRI approval.
For more information, see the Town of Chatham Website

The town of Falmouth recently completed the MEPA/DRI process for the Wastewater Facility Plan.  The WWFP was focused on a plant upgrade to achieve better nutrient removal rates.  The was required because the facility was located in the watershed to West Falmouth Harbor, which is nitrogen impaired owing to surrounding residential development and the effluent plume from the facility which was previously permitted in the 1980s prior to knowledge about coastal nitrogen sensitivity. The Cape Cod Commission reviewed an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) for Town of Falmouth Comprehensive Wastewater Management PlanningProject for the South Coastal Watersheds including the Needs Assessment Report and Alternatives Screening Report for Little Pond, Great Pond, Green Pond, Bournes Pond, Eel Pond and Waquoit Bay. The Needs Assessment Report identifies wastewater needs within a study area that includes the estuary watersheds, while the Alternatives Screen Report reviews the potential technologies to address the identified needs. The Needs Assessment Report and Alternatives Screening Report provide the basis for the development of a draft comprehensive wastewater plan Environmental Impact Report. The town also received wastewater grant funds from Barnstable County (1) to receive technical assistance from the US Geological Survey and Commission water staff, to use a groundwater model to evaluate potential wastewater disposal sites, and (2) to conduct detailed hydrogeologic modeling of a likely discharge site, the Falmouth Country Club. Through its review, the Commission supported the additional evaluation of the MMR as a potential shared regional facility for the Upper Cape as one their alternatives.   Falmouth prepared a draft CWMP that included, collection of wastewater in the South Coastal areas generally south of Route 28, treatment at a proposed regionally shared facility on the MMR and effluent disposal through injection wells.  The town has recently formulated a new internal review committee to evaluate additional alternatives.
For More information see the Town of Falmouth website

The Cape Cod Commission reviewed a Notice of Project Change (NOPC) for the Watershed Nitrogen Management Plan for the Town of Mashpee. The NOPC was accompanied with a report entitled, “Town of Mashpee, Popponesset Bay and Waquoit Bay-East Watersheds, Needs Assessment Report.” The Needs Assessment Report documents the significant level of effort that has gone into determining the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of nitrogen for the two subject embayments over the course of the last six years. The town took advantage of a number of opportunities including the MassDEP Pilot Project and the Cape Cod Commission TMDL Implementation Project, which were both funded through EPA. Through these projects, Mashpee, together with representatives of Barnstable and Sandwich, has been able to participate in the drafting of a TMDL nitrogen-loading allocation for each town and have discussions on potential nutrient-trading opportunities. Mashpee was also able to run a number of MEP alternative nitrogen-loading scenarios and conduct an assessment of cranberry bogs and streams for potential additional natural attenuation. The town also received wastewater grant funds from Barnstable County to model sewer collection systems in the Popponesset watershed and technical assistance from the US Geological Survey and Commission water staff, to use a groundwater model to evaluate potential wastewater disposal sites. The identification of priority areas uses the Mashpee Planning areas as its fundamental building block. The Needs Assessment identifies Santuit Pond as being listed on the Clean Water Act 303d list of “impaired waters” and that the Cape Cod Pond Atlas identifies another 18 additional fresh water ponds that are impaired. The Needs Assessment contains a good characterization of the Private Sewage Treatment Facilities, including treatment efficiency and excess capacity. The section on existing infrastructure also includes a brief discussion on innovative and alternative septic systems. The Mashpee Sewer Commission their consultants have developed wastewater collection and treatment scenarios for achieving the TMDLs for Popponesset Bay and Waquoit Bay including four sewer collection and treatment scenario and one Cluster plan scenario that were run by SMAST.  The more favorable wastewater scenarios include use of the existing private plants at their planned capacity and either 2 sub-regional plants or 18 cluster plants.  Off-site disposal of effluent outside of the impaired watersheds is an important component of the Plan’s approach.  These options are being evaluated while the town has recently reformulated the Sewer Commission.
For More Information, see the Town of Mashpee Website

The CWMP provides a strategy for wastewater management to achieve reductions of nitrogen loading to restore and protect Orleans’s marine embayments. The CWMP also addresses fresh water ponds; areas with septic system problems associated with frequent pumping, intensity of use, and mounded systems; provides modest capacity for expanded residential housing in the commercial district; opportunities for regional management; and an adaptive management approach for its implementation. The CWMP proposes a core wastewater facility and sewer-collection system to serve 53 percent of the town to meet the nitrogen management and water-quality needs of the town. The project would be implemented in six phases over a 15- to 20-year period of implementation. The phased sewer plan also accommodates septage and sludge handling and proposes five small package-treatment systems that will hasten nutrient removal as the plan is phased in. The phased plan also targets nutrient reduction through certain non-structural elements, including fertilizer control program, stormwater management, water conservation program coupled with a wastewater flow and load-reduction initiative, enhancement of embayment flushing rates, and land use controls. The 2008 estimated cost of the CWMP is $150 million dollars over the 15- to 20-year implementation period. The average cost to a home owner is estimated at $2,600 per year. The town has adopted a cost-recovery policy that incorporates property tax assessment to pay for 80 percent of the costs and rely on betterments for the remaining 20 percent of the costs. Commission staff have reviewed the needs assessment, alternatives assessment, and preferred alternative reports. Staff prepared and presented reports to the Cape Cod Commission, which forwarded comments to the MEPA office. The town received its MEPA certificate to proceed to Final EIR.  The town has recently reformulated the wastewater planning committees as it reviews the last of its MEP reports and assessment of alternatives.
For More Information, see the Town of Orleans Website

The Cape’s last conventional wastewater plan completed the MEPA/DRI review process in 2001 and was subsequently built and is performing well.  The plan dealt with the public health issues of failing septic systems and inadequate infrastructure.  The Comprehensive Plan was approved by the State agencies through the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and the Cape Cod Commission through Development of Regional Impact review.  Although there were a number innovative aspects of the Plan, including a lot-by-lot assessment of Title 5, use of the Route 6 Median and Right-of-Way for effluent disposal, combination of force mains, conventional gravity and Vacuum sewers, and “Checkerboard Sewer Areas,” the plan did not deal with the eutrophication issues that plagues Cape Cod’s south coastal embayments.  The Plan included 3 Phases.  The Town is presently expanding sewers into the Phase 3 area.
For More Information, see the Town of Provincetown Website

The town of Barnstable has begun a town-wide Nutrient Management Plan that will provide the basis of the town’s CWMP.  The Town recently completed the MEPA/DRI review process for, what is known as the Wastewater Facility Plan.  This project began in 1988 to evaluate issues associated with the town’s existing facility and sewer needs that were completed in 1993.  The WWFP resolved wastewater disposal issues relative to site capacity and identified 9 Areas of Concern (AOCs) for sewer hook-up.  The approval conditions required an Adaptive Management Plan for monitoring conditions around the wastewater facility as it approaches a discharge rate of 3.7 MGD prior to attaining its design capacity of 4.2 MGD.  The additional 0.5 MGD may require the use of an approved remote site known as the Route 132 site.  The DRI conditions also included the scope for the Nutrient Management Plan and provisions for continuing sewer expansion under the WWFP while acknowledging the nutrient management issues.  The Town has recently reformulated a Citizens Advisory Committee for wastewater planning and is evaluating appropriate funding strategies for interim sewering of AOCs and the anticipated town-wide project costs.
For More Information, see the Town of Barnstable Website

The Town of Bourne completed a town-wide Needs Assessment that focused on the infrastructure needs of redevelopment in Buzzards Bay.  Project oversight was provided by the Bourne Financial Development Corp.  A portion of Buzzards Bay is sewered and the wastewater is conveyed to Wareham for treatment.  The allocation has a top constraint of 200,000 gallons per day.  The report identified suitable effluent disposal and facility sites north of the Cape Cod Canal.  At this time the Town is pursuing more detailed site evaluation.  Buttermilk Bay was one of the first embayments studied in Massachusetts so an MEP Technical report is not being pursued.  A MEP Technical Report was issued for the Pocasset River and Eel Pond.
For More Information, see the Town of Bourne Website

The Town of Dennis has been working with the Dennis Water District on wastewater planning issues. The District has begun the fundamental portions of a Needs Assessment but like other towns is awaiting the Technical Reports for nutrient management numbers for the Herring River, Swan Pond and Bass River.  Although the Herring River and Swan Pond are due this summer, the Bass River report will not be available for another year or two. Dennis has identified a number of areas that may require sewer for nutrients and for constraints of Title 5 on economic redevelopment of Dennisport.  The District did file and pass legislation to become the Dennis Water and Sewer District.
For More Information, see the Town of Dennis Website

The Town of Eastham completed a town-wide Needs Assessment.  The Needs Assessment concluded that public water supply to protect the public health was an overriding concern.  The town of Eastham is presently proceeding with the New Source approval process for several gravel pack well sites.  Eastham shares the watershed to Town Cove with Orleans and is waiting for the MEP Technical Report so have further discussion with the Town of Orleans about opportunities to potentially share the proposed wastewater treatment facility in Orleans.
For More Information, see the Town of Eastham Website

The town of Harwich established a Water Quality Committee which began to coordinate both fresh and marine water sampling.  The Committee is also responsible for the town of Harwich’s wastewater planning effort.  So far the Town’s efforts consist of developing a wastewater Needs Assessment and participation in the Alliance for Pleasant Bay.  The Harwich efforts have been on a hiatus while waiting for the Mass Estuary Project to complete the Technical Reports on Herring River and several of the south side embayments.  The MEP reports are due this spring or early summer of 2010.  The town and their consultants are also evaluating effluent disposal sites. 
For More Information, see the Town of Harwich Website

The Town of Sandwich has established a Water Quality Committee to oversee water quality and wastewater planning efforts.  The committee developed a scope of work for a comprehensive wastewater management plan and submitted the scope under the Sagamore Lens Natural Resource Damages Assessment related to past groundwater contamination at the Textron facility at the MMR.  The town received notice of its selection for an award of $400,000 for its water/wastewater plan and it is working through the NRD grant process to contract with the state to begin the project. 
For More Information, see the Town of Sandwich Website

The town of Yarmouth has completed portions of its Need and Alternatives Assessment.  The Draft CWMP pre-supposed areas that would require wastewater collection to restore water quality in Lewis Bay and Parkers River and for dealing with the constraints of Titlle 5 on economic redevelopment of the Route 28 area.  Yarmouth has received draft portions of the MEP report for Parkers River and the draft Technical Reprort for Lewis Bay, which it shares with Barnstable.  The town is in the process of further evaluation of the proposed sewer areas, the nutrient constraints of preferred effluent disposal sites and potential sharing of treatment infrastructure with Barnstable.  The town is working with the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative on the regional shared infrastructure option.
For More Information, see the Town of Yarmouth Website