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will be needed to meet the TMDLs and clean up our are two larger private treatment plants proposed on waterways. As one potential strategy for dealing with nearby properties, and meetings have been held with the owners regarding consolidating those plants and funding and development of sewer facilities in the most cost-effective way, discussions have been held possibly including the High School, Southport or with the Water District and Selectmen with regard to other adjacent properties. potential expansion of the District's role to include sewer facilities. The Town of Dennis and Dennis The County's "Cape Cod Water Protection Water District have decided on that same approach Collaborative"continued its work on seeking state and and have filed legislation to turn the Dennis Water federal funding assistance for wastewater facilities on District into a water and sewer district. To date, no the Cape, on coordinating wastewater facilities plan- consensus has emerged regarding that option in ning by the towns and on otherwise dealing with our Mashpee, which is strongly supported by the Sewer water quality improvement needs. Selectman John Commission. However, organizational and financial Cahalane serves as the Town's representative on the issues will have to be a key part of work on the final Collaborative, while Commissioner Fudala serves on Plan and public discussion on its implementation. the Collaborative's Technical Advisory Committee, The most important achievement of the Collaborative In addition to the five scenarios developed by to date has been its role in the development and pas. Mashpee, the Town of Falmouth has initiated discus- sage by the state legislature of Senator O'Leary's bill sions about use of a site adjacent to the existing waste- (Chapter 312 of the Acts of 2008) which will provide water treatment plant on the Massachusetts Military 0% interest loans for wastewater facilities primarily Reservation (MMR) on the basis of some sort of intended to prevent nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus) regional arrangement with Mashpee, Sandwich and enrichment of water bodies or water supplies,but only Bourne. The Commission has indicated an interest in to applicants who have a Comprehensive Wastewater considering that approach for a portion of our waste- Management Plan (CWMP) approved by DEP (the water needs if it becomes feasible and cost-effective plan we are working on) and have adopted land use for Mashpee. controls intended to limit wastewater flows to the amount authorized by zoning and wastewater regula- Our consultants also began work on identifying tions as of the date DEP approves the CWMP (so- and testing potential sites for discharging treated called "growth neutral" regulations). The 0% loans wastewater. There are four primary sites under con- would be available between 2009 and 2019, in con- sideration. The Selectmen provided their approval of petition with other similar projects around the state,so test wells and pits on the three Town-owned sites, we have a strong financial incentive to complete and III located on Ashumet Road, Red Brook Road and adja- implement our wastewater facilities plan as soon as cent to the Transfer Station,but work had to be halted possible. when the State Archaeologist demanded an intensive archaeological survey of the transfer station site and The Commission continued its participation, 'i the State Natural Heritage and Endangered Species along with representatives of Barnstable, Sandwich, Program (NHESP) remapped the site on October 1 as DEP and the county, in the EPA-funded DEP endangered species habitat. The Commission has Popponesset Bay"Pilot Project", which has now corn- received an $8000 proposal for the archaeological pleted its work. The project used this group as a work,but has put the site testing program on hold until "guinea pig" to study the regulatory and implementa- we have received determinations from the State tion issues of the new TMDLs in order to help set state Archeologist and NHESP on what they will require on policy, as well as to identify innovative approaches to the other three sites (the fourth being potential subsur- nitrogen removal, local regulations and inter-munici- face disposal under the New Seabury golf course). pal cooperation. The project developed a proposed approach for fairly sharing between the three towns A fifth potential discharge area is under the High the cost of wastewater facilities needed to meet the School ballfields, which the School Department has Popponesset TMDL. The project's final report is due been reluctant to authorize. However, discussions to be published in early 2009. The ramifications of the with the Department relative to g proposal the High School will soon have to be addressed politically and water treatment plant continued and the financial) b the leaders of the three communrtres, waste p Y Y Department was successful in having its DEP dis- Settling on such a sharing mechanism will be impor charge permit amended to reduce potential operating tant in determining what facilities must be planned for costs. However,the plant may or may not become part development in Mashpee. of the final WNMP, and ultimate management respon- sibility remains up in the air. At the same time, there The Commission's Watershed Nitrogen Management Plan will have major water quality,land 158