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r together to solve water quality problems on a Report of the watershed scale provides the opportunity to Cape Cod Water Protection lower costs and minimize infrastructure. The Collaborative Collaborative has sponsored a report that demonstrates the potential costs savings asso- ciated with regionalization. The report can be The Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative is found on the Capekeepers.org website. a 17 member County agency. Each of the 15 Cape towns appoints a representative to the Governing 3. The Collaborative was a co-sponsor of a cost j Board whose membership also includes 2 members report that provides unbiased data on the rela- appointed by the County Commissioners.The mission tive costs of different technologies employed of the Collaborative is to offer a coordinated approach in the region over the past 13 years.The study to enhance the water and wastewater management resolves many of the questions and misinfor- efforts of towns, the Regional Government and the mation regarding the cost competitiveness of some systems over others and provides a good Community, and to provide cost effective and envi- Y P g ronmentally sound wastewater infrastructure, thereby framework for communities thinking through protecting Cape Cod's shared water resources. The the scale and type of systems they may want . i Collaborative seeks funding support for the Cape to employ. This report appears on the Ca ekee er.or site. I' communities, establishes priorities, directs strategy, P P g builds support for action, and fosters regionalism. 4. The Collaborative undertook an analysis of The Collaborative is staffed by a part-time the regulatory hurdles confronting towns Executive Director and meets every other month,usu- proposing to use wetland alternations to ally at the County Courthouse. The Collaborative improve nitrogen attenuation. The report maintains a website, www.capekeepers.org that pro- defines the critical path to approval and vides current information to the general public con- details which project types are most likely to receive approval. The Collaborative hopes to cerned with the water quality of Cape Cod. move ahead with this project in the coming The Collaborative continued its focus on provid- year to more fully define the issues that need ing service to municipalities in several ways this past analysis to lower the cost of implementation year. to any town proposing a wetlands altering project. 1. The Collaborative sought and received county funding for FY'11 that enabled it to provide Lastly, the Collaborative has spent much of the expert consulting services to towns to assist year preparing for anticipated litigation from environ- with engineering,planning and financial man- mental groups looking to require the towns to proceed agement. The County has hired two outstand- more quickly with wastewater plan implementation. i ing professionals in their fields to provide The Collaborative has engaged special counsel and is unbiased expertise to towns seeking reviews preparing itself to best defend the interests of the of local wastewater engineering and planning County. Continuation of local planning and imple- processes and in the development of financial mentation efforts is the best possible defense that the management strategies for implementing a towns can employ; as such an approach minimizes the wastewater management program. The con- chance that the court will substitute its judgments for sultant services are available on an as those a town has developed on its own. The course of requested basis. Many towns have taken the litigation is unclear,but it is expected that the case advantage of this service to date. will be a major focus in the coming year. 2. The Collaborative has continued its focus on While much has been accomplished, much using regionalization based on shared water- remains to be done.The Collaborative will continue to shed boundaries as the most cost effective support the efforts of Cape communities to maintain basis upon which towns can base their water- the quality of our waterways. shed management measures. Towns working 81 I