Background
Falmouth is located in Southeastern Massachusetts on Cape Cod in Barnstable County with a year-round population estimated at 30,993 people. The seasonal population can grow to more than 105,000 people as thousands arrive to enjoy the New England summers.
Water supply
Falmouth has a long coastline and an abundance of fresh and brackish water resources. There are several lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and reservoirs within Falmouth. The ponds are highly variable in size, ranging from less than an acre to 300 acres.
50% of Falmouth’s drinking water comes from the Long Pond surface reservoir. The remaining pulls from groundwater wells. Water is treated at two main Water Treatment Facilities, Long Pond and Crooked Pond.
Only 11% of the town’s developed properties are connected to the Town Wastewater System, the remaining properties use Standard Title 5 septic tanks or cesspools. Waste is primarily treated by the Main Waste Water Treatment Facility (MWWTF) (both from septic tanks and from the main line served areas.) The New Silver Beach Wastewater Facility (NSB WWTF) came online recently serves an area in Falmouth of 231 homes plagued by septic system overflows due to its location at a low elevation within the coastal flood zone.
Sea levels continue to rise and the rate is increasing all the time. MA projects 1.1 feet of sea-level rise on Cape Cod by 2030, 2.4 feet by 2050, 4.2 feet by 2070 and 7.7 feet by 2100.
All the Issues
Major water issues within Falmouth center around sea level rise, regular coastal flooding, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, drinking water withdrawal, groundwater contamination from the nearby Andrews Air Force Base, and an over abundance of nitrogen nitrate resulting from fertilizer use and the large quantity of septic system waster water systems.
Major Issue: Nitrogen Nitrate
The primary source of nitrogen in the Cape Coastal Bays is from wastewater, with septic systems contributing 94% of the wastewater nitrogen and accounting for nearly 80% of the controllable nitrogen load to Cape Cod. Stormwater runoff contributes approximately 8% of the total nitrogen load to the Cape.
Increased availability of nitrogen in marine systems leads to excessive algal growth and water quality degradation, posing a major threat to coastal habitats. Just ast summer, several ponds in Falmouth had dangerous levels of cyanobacteria. Reasons include a combination of factors including raised water temperatures, leaking septic systems, stormwater runoff, fertilizers use as well as pet or wildlife waste.
Falmouth has taken initiative with several projects focused on addressing the present nitrogen levels. The Cape Cod Commission nominated all of Cape Cod as a District of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC) for turf fertilizer management to combat the excessive nutrient over-enrichment of inland coastal water and thus protect drinking water sources and important aquatic ecosystems.
The DCOC allows municipalities to voluntarily adopt regulations within their boundaries governing the application of turf fertilizers and Falmouth has a grandfathered in nitrogen bylaw. An additional bylaw, passed in 2018, states that fertilizer use is prohibited within 100’ of any protected resource. A pilot program was launched in 2018 where residents within a 300’ buffer from mean high water line had to opportunity to install denitrifying septic systems with the award of subsidies for involvement.
Get on Line Strategy
Our strategy focuses on bringing properties in Falmouth on to the Main Waste water treatment line to combat nitrogen levels while also facing the forecast of increased instances of flooding events and rising seas. Get On Line begins with an analysis of existing site conditions to determine the best route for the properties waste treatment plan.
Those properties falling within 30 feet of the mean high water line or located within the predicted 3 foot sea level rise are deemed high priority and determined to be connected to the main sewer line first. In addition, those properties located within 300 feet of a freshwater source are also deemed high priority.
For those properties which cannot be connected to the main sewer line for reasons such as specific site conditions, low-density population, or lack of funding, a denitrification septs system program is proposed. The building of standard Title 5 Septic Systems will be banned and property owners have the option to choose from four different systems.
A hearty monitoring system needs to be incorporated into private wastewater treatment in our solution to track the success of technologies, maintenance, and installation costs, as well as nitrogen and to provide more robust nitrogen level data to the town, county and state
Lastly, In 2018, The Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund (CCIWPF) was established by the Massachusetts legislature to assist Cape Cod and Island municipalities in paying for wastewater infrastructure projects and water quality remediation projects. The CCIWPF is a fund within the Massachusetts state Clean Water Trust solely dedicated to Cape Cod and the islands. In 2019, an excise tax of 2.75% was established on all forms of lodging including hotels, motels, short-term rentals, etc., as a revenue stream for CCIWPF. Get on Line opposed a 1% increase on the excise tax on lodging to raise more funds for the project.
Get on Line establishes an approach for Falmouth to address a waste management and nitrogen crisis which will only get worse with growing development and climate changes. By instituting an evaluation matrix for priotizing properties to join the main sewer line, Get on Line outlines various revenue streams to generate capital to fund the growth of the program and increase in connected properties simultaneously. Hopefully, Falmouth can pave the way for other small coastal towns.
Source
Dr, Edgerton. “HDILOL VRED FERNRWD OOD,” n.d., 1.
“FALMOUTH’S DRINKING WATER | FALMOUTH WATER STEWARDS.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.falmouthwaters.org/falmouths-drinking-water/.
“GIS Open Data Hub | Cape Cod Commission.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/gis-open-data-hub/.
“Main Wastewater System | Falmouth, MA.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.falmouthma.gov/364/Main-Wastewater-System.
“New Silver Beach Wastewater System | Falmouth, MA.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.falmouthma.gov/365/New-Silver-Beach-Wastewater-System.
“Water | Falmouth, MA.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.falmouthma.gov/314/Water.
“Water Well Regulations”. 2021. Falmouthma.Gov. https://www.falmouthma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6861/Falmouth-Water-Well-Regulations?bidId=.
“2018 Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan.Pdf.” Accessed October 21, 2021. https://www.capecodcommission.org/resource-library/file/?url=/dept/commission/team/Website
_Resources/RPP/2018_Cape_Cod_Regional_Policy_Plan_for_web.pdf
“2018 RPP Data Viewer | Cape Cod Commission.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://capecodcommission.org/our-work/2018-rpp-data-viewer/.
Ahlfeld, David. “Climate Change and Cape Cod: Impacts on Water Resources and Planning
Implications,” n.d., 28.
“Cape Cod Commission GIS Portal 2017.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://gis-cccommission.opendata.arcgis.com/.
“Cape Cod Susceptible to Potential Effects of Sea-Level Rise.” Accessed October 20, 2021.
https://www.usgs.gov/news/cape-cod-susceptible-potential-effects-sea-level-rise.
“Cape Cod’s Sole Source Aquifer | Cape Cod Commission.” Accessed October 20, 2021.
https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/sole-source-aquifer/.
“Completed Projects | Falmouth, MA.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://www.falmouthma.gov/297/Completed-Projects.
“Consumer-Confidence-Report-2020.Pdf.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://www.falmouthma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10044/Consumer-Confidence-Report-202
0.
MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Costly Cape Cod Cleanup Has Advanced
Groundwater Hydrology Research.” Accessed October 20, 2021.
https://news.mit.edu/2007/capecodclean.
Falmouth EDIC. “Demographics.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://www.falmouthedic.org/demographics.
“Download.Pdf.” Accessed October 20, 2021
“Drinking Water and Groundwater | Cape Cod Commission.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/drinkingwater/.
“Environmental Management.” Accessed October 18, 2021.
https://www.massnationalguard.org/ERC/environmental_management.htm.
“Executive-Summary-PDF.Pdf.” Accessed October 20, 2021.
https://www.falmouthma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/979/Executive-Summary-PDF?bidId=.
“Final-Comprehensive-Wastewater-Management-Plan-Cover-PDF.Pdf.” Accessed October 20, 2021.
https://www.falmouthma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/978/Final-Comprehensive-Wastewater-Ma
nagement-Plan-Cover-PDF?bidId=.
Martin, Margaret. “CAPE COD GLACIAL AQUIFER MASSACHUSETTS,” n.d., 6.
“Massachusetts SD2659 | TrackBill.” Accessed October 18, 2021.
https://trackbill.com/bill/massachusetts-senate-docket-2659-an-act-protecting-the-upper-cape-w
ater-supply-reserve/2135337/.
“My Title 5 Septic System Is Working Fine. What’s the Problem? – State of the Waters: Cape Cod.”
Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://capecodwaters.org/2019/11/25/my-title-5-septic-system-is-working-fine-whats-the-probl
em/.
“No. 414: Establishing the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve and Commission | Mass.Gov.”
Accessed October 18, 2021.
https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-414-establishing-the-upper-cape-water-supply-reser
ve-and-commission.
“NPC-Update-2019-Appendix-36-Nitrogen-Control-Bylaw-for-Fertilizer.Pdf.” Accessed October 20,
2021.
https://www.falmouthma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6950/NPC-Update-2019-Appendix-36-Nit
rogen-Control-Bylaw-for-Fertilizer.
“Pesticides and Fertilizers | Cape Cod Commission.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/pesticides-and-fertilizers/.
“Ponds and Lakes | Cape Cod Commission.” Accessed October 20, 2021.
https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/ponds-and-lakes/.
“Scientific Investigations Report.” Scientific Investigations Report. Scientific Investigations Report,
2016.
Climate Central. “See Your Local Sea Level and Coastal Flood Risk.” Accessed October 21, 2021.
http://riskfinder.climatecentral.org.
“Story Map Tour.” Accessed October 19, 2021.
https://cccommission.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=7839e9ffe8f94d1794a
22ec1c1c53420.
“Wastewater | Cape Cod Commission.” Accessed October 21, 2021.
https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/wastewater/.
“Water | Falmouth, MA.” Accessed October 19, 2021. https://www.falmouthma.gov/314/Water.