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gen loading, nitrogen loading targets, development of
<br /> Report of the wastewater nitrogen priority areas, a summary of
<br /> Sewer Commission needs and a discussion of funding opportunities,
<br /> In March, a "Draft Technology Screening
<br /> To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the Report" was delivered, identifying all of the potential
<br /> Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: wastewater treatment, sewering and effluent discharge
<br /> technologies and identifying their favorable and unfa.
<br /> 2007 found the Commission and our consultants vorable characteristics, costs and effectiveness. After
<br /> well along in the development of our Watershed extensive review by the Commission and our
<br /> Community Advisory Committee (CAC), and addi.
<br /> Nitrogen Management Plan / Effluent Pipeline
<br /> Preliminary Design (WNMP) project, intended to tional inputs from the County Health and Environment
<br /> identify the most cost-effective approach to reducing Department and their Systems Test Center at MMR,a
<br /> nitrogen in each of our coastal watersheds to levels "Final Technology Screening Report" was delivered
<br /> that do not harm the bays. in November.
<br /> As reported in previous years,the Massachusetts At a series of meetings with the CAC and con.
<br /> sultants in May and June,the next step in the planning
<br /> Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) process was begun with the selection of five alterna.
<br /> Massachusetts Estuaries Program (MEP) has mod- tive scenarios for dealing with wastewater nitrogen,
<br /> eled nitrogen loading and pathways, and established Four scenarios are under development by Stearns&
<br /> nitrogen loading targets,for both the Popponesset Bay Wheler. They are looking at various approaches to
<br /> and Quashnet River / Hamblin's Pond / Jehu Pond sewering, two of which involve use of existing private
<br /> watersheds. The recommendations from these reports treatment plants to varying degrees,one of which does
<br /> were incorporated by DEP into reports setting formal
<br /> not, and one of which presumes that each of the towns
<br /> «
<br /> nitrogen targets, called TMDLs (Total Maximum in the Popponesset and Waquoit watersheds "goes it
<br /> Daily Loads) for each of the sub-embayments of our alone" in meeting state nitrogen mandates rather than
<br /> estuaries. TMDLs are required by the federal Clean cooperating on the most cost-effective watershed-
<br /> Water Act,and the DEP TMDL reports have been sub- based approach (intermunicipal cooperation and cost-
<br /> mitted for approval to the U.S Environmental sharing will be a major issue that must be addressed
<br /> Protection Agency. Once approved by EPA, the by Mashpee and the surrounding three towns). A fifth
<br /> TMDLs will be incorporated into the state regulatory scenario involves the use of "cluster" and "on-site"
<br /> process, as required by the Clean Water Act, and the systems, as well as direct groundwater treatment using
<br /> Town will be faced with the need to identify how we �`Nitrex" technologies.ies. To develop that scenario,a
<br /> will meet those targets.
<br /> second consultant, Lombardo Associates, was con-
<br /> tracted.Pond Lombardo presented their draft scenario ata
<br /> A small part of Mashpee east of Santuit Po
<br /> rimain Commission meeting on December 11, while Steams
<br /> included in the "Three Bays" watershed, primarily & Wheler presented their four proposed scenarios on
<br /> Barnstable, for which an MEP report was delivered in December 18. As the year ended, the scenarios were
<br /> 2007. The only remaining portion of Mashpee not under review, with the intention of finalizing them in
<br /> covered by an MEP report is the extreme western part early 2008 and testing them using the MEP models.
<br /> of the town,including most of the Johns Pond Estates, The most promising of the scenarios, or combinations
<br /> Winslow Farms and Childs River West subdivisions.
<br /> EP ort for of them, will be selected for more detailed develop
<br /> These areas will be covered by an M report
<br /> ment, review and costing, with a final selection made
<br /> Waquoit Bay, Childs River and Eel River which will
<br /> y the Town of Falmouth with the assis- and a final draft of the Watershed Nitrogen
<br /> be undertaken bManagement Plan completed and submitted for
<br /> tance of $23,625 in Mashpee funds approved by the county and state review later in 2008,
<br /> October 2006 Town Meeting.
<br /> Now that TMDLs for most of our watersheds
<br /> The scenarios developed so far highlight our
<br /> need to identify and reserve parcels of land for sewage
<br /> have been determined, our engineering consultant, pumping stations, treatment plants and discharge
<br /> Stearns & Wheler, LLC (S&W), has begun work in areas, as well as the major costs that will be involved
<br /> earnest on the WNMP. The first portion of the Plan
<br /> was completed with delivery of a Final Needs
<br /> in sewering the town. Mashpee has serious work cut
<br /> out for it over the next few years to identify funding
<br /> Assessment Report„ in April, analyzing existing envi-
<br /> ronmental and financing strategies and priorities related to level
<br /> resources and demographics, existing oping the facilities that will be needed to meet the
<br /> wastewater infrastructure,wastewater flows and nitro-
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