11/16/2010 SEWER COMMISSION Minutes

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Faimouth's Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan: 2010 Overview and Update Our Wastewater Problem • Individual septic systems in Falmouth are discharging nitrogen into coastal ponds, severely affecting pond water quality and causing algae.blooms,harm to harvestable shellfish and finfish habitat,and loss of eel grass beds. • Algae blooms cause visibly poor water quality,odor and mucky bottoms.The impacts threaten the natural beauty of the coastal landscape,a key feature of the Town and its tourism-based economy. • The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is requiring al/coastal communities to address their nutrient enrichment problems,using guidance from the Massachusetts Estuaries Program. Each estuary must not exceed its own Total Maximum Daily Limit of nitrogen(TMDL). Each Plan must address the entire watershed. • The Town is drafting a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan(CWMP)for the south-coast watersheds(the"Project Area")to identify solutions to protect and restore the watersheds of Little,Great,Green,Bournes and Eel Ponds and Waquoit Bay. • Watersheds in the remainder of the Town have already been studied(Oyster Pond)or are scheduled for study in the very near future. Charge,from the Board of Selectmen • In February,Selectmen formed a 9-member Review Committee to examine all aspects of the 2009 Draft CWMP document by Stearns&Whaler,solicit public.input„revise or augment the.Draft as needed,and report back to the Selectmen by September 30'h. • The Review Committee met 19 times including three public forums,a technical workshop and a site visit. All meetings were televised,and all minutes and documents are on the Selectmen's website.. • To promote pubiic,education,the Review Committee also released a Fact Sheet on project financing options,betterment options,and an Addendum with an Action Timeline on what funding Falmouth can provide and when. Research • The Committee directed Stearns&Whaler to prepare six Technical Memoranda to address issues of alternative wastewater scenarios,alternative discharge sites, centralized vs.cluster treatment systems(the Seacoast Shores peninsula was used as an example),and project phasing. • The Committee heard presentations by local residents with technical expertise,and received significant new information on permeable reactive barriers,composting toilets, oyster farming,alternative septic system designs,etc. • Based on its local knowledge of land and landowners,the Committee identified several new possibilities for discharge of treated wastewater into several watersheds. Committee Consensus: Falmouth should submit a Draft CWMP to the State/Federal regulators that moves forward on two fronts simultaneously: (1)begin design of the first Phase to be sewered; (2)implement demonstration projects for non-sewering options that may reduce or eliminate the need for sewers. This consensus is based on the following: