Comprehensive
    Watershed Nitrogen
    and Wastewater
    Management Plan

The Town of Mashpee Sewer Commission is undertaking a "Comprehensive Watershed Nitrogen and Wastewater Management Plan".

This, approximately $500,000 effort ($405,140 authorized May and $40,00 authorized October of 1999), is intended to provide a road-map to the eventual resolution to the serious and growing decay of our estuarine waters due to nutrient pollution. The project is mostly funded via a State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan.  SRF loans are repaid over years and are low interest or interest free.

An Environmental Notification Form (ENF) was submitted to the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The Secretary's Certificate (November 9, 2001) requires a Draft and Final Environmental Impact Reports.  The Certificate also notes the Project is subject to joint review with the Cape Cod Commission as a Development of Regional Impact. Engineering / Scientific Support Contracts have been negotiated and a "Community Advisory Committee" established.

A preliminary Plan of areas to be sewered was presented to the "Blue Ribbon Committee" on 11/10/05. The plan is based upon Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) documents prepared under the State's Estuaries Project. These documents are based on December 2001 land use and therefore understate the need. There will be significant changes in the current "plan" with a meeting scheduled for May 2007 to learn details of the scientific support's  "Needs Assessment" and discussion of potential areas to be sewered.

An April 6, 2007 technical report indicates an across-the-board 49.2% removal of nitrogen compound inputs to the Popponesset Watershed based on year 2001 levels would meet the estuaries maximum load requirement. This level would be applicable to the three watershed towns. (Barnstable, Mashpee, Sandwich)

The Table and Map below are information from the meeting/TMDL's.

wshed J ss.jpg (834778 bytes)Click the thumbnail for a full size map (854 Kb).

    A rough summary is:
        Northern Gray Area=No Sewage Treatment
        Below gray/above red lines=varying %
        Within red lines=100% sewage treatment & removal

    The Table below is extrapolated from the TMDLs.

Eastern Waquoit Watershed % Septic Load Removed (Plan)
Hamblin Pond 75
Upper Hamblin Pond 75
Little River 75
Lower Great River 100
Upper Great River 100
Jehu Pond 100
Red Brook 75
Upper Quashnet River 67
Lower Quashnet River 67
Moonakis River 67
Popponesset Watershed  
Popponesset Bay 0
Popponesset Creek 100
Pinquickset Cove 0
Ockway Bay 100
Mashpee River 100
Shoestring Bay 100
Popponesset Surface Waters  
Mashpee River 48.8
Santuit River 35.2
Quaker Run 0

Click here to view Watersheds by Town

 

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