01 Barnstable Final CWMP 2.0 _Full Binder_Jan 2020
Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts
Comprehensive Wastewater
Management Plan
Volume 1: Report Text, Tables and Figures
January, 2020
Town of Barnstable Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Distribution List
A copy of the CWMP/EENF has been sent to the following:
Secretary of Energy and Environmental
Affairs
Executive Office of Energy and
Environmental Affairs (EEA)
Attn: MEPA Office
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston MA 02114
Mass DEP- Boston
Commissioner's Office
One Winter Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02108
MassDEP Southeastern Regional Office
20 Riverside Drive Lakeville, MA 02347
Attention: MEPA Unit
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Public/Private Development Unit 10 Park
Plaza, Suite #4150 Boston, MA 02116
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
District #5
Box 111
1000 County Street
Taunton, MA 02780
Attn: MEPA Coordinator
Cape Cod Commission
3225 Main Street
P.O. Box 226
Barnstable, MA 02630
Massachusetts Historical Commission
The MA Archives Building
220 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
Attn: Ms. Brona Simon
Coastal Zone Management
Attn: Project Review Coordinator
251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
Boston, MA 02114
Division of Marine Fisheries (South Shore)
Attn: Environmental Reviewer
836 South Rodney French BLVD
New Bedford, MA, 02744
Department of Agricultural Resources
Attn: MEPA Coordinator
138 Memorial Avenue, Suite 42
West Springfield, MA 01089
Natural Heritage and Endangered Species
Program
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries &
Wildlife
1 Rabbit Hill Road
Westborough, MA 01581
Energy Facilities Siting Board
Attn: MEPA Coordinator
One South Station
Boston, MA 02110
Department of Energy Resources
Attn: MEPA Coordinator
100 Cambridge Street, 10th floor
Boston, MA 02114
Department of Public Health
Director of Environmental Health
250 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02115
DCR
Attn: MEPA Coordinator
251 Causeway St. Suite 600
Boston MA 02114
Town of Mashpee
Board of Selectmen
Mashpee Town Hall
16 Great Neck Road North
Mashpee, MA 02649
Town of Mashpee
Conservation
16 Great Neck Road North
Mashpee, MA 02649
Town of Mashpee
Board of Health
16 Great Neck Road North
Mashpee, MA 02649
Town of Mashpee
Planning Board
16 Great Neck Road North
Mashpee, MA 0264
Town of Sandwich
Planning and Development
16 Jan Sebastian Drive
Sandwich, MA 02563
Town of Sandwich
Conservation Commission
16 Jan Sebastian Drive
Sandwich, MA 02563
Town of Sandwich
Health Department
16 Jan Sebastian Drive
Sandwich, MA 02563
Town of Sandwich
Board of Selectman
130 Main Street
Sandwich, MA 02563
Town of Yarmouth
Board of Selectman
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Town of Yarmouth
Planning Division
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Town of Yarmouth
Conservation
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Town of Yarmouth
Health Department
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Town of Yarmouth
Department of Public Works
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Town of Yarmouth
Town Administrator
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Town of Barnstable
Town Council
367 Main St
Hyannis, MA 02601
Town of Barnstable
Planning and Development
367 Main St
Hyannis, MA 02601
Town of Barnstable
Conservation
200 Main St
Hyannis, MA 02601
Town of Barnstable
Health Division
200 Main St
Hyannis, MA 02601
Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts
Comprehensive Wastewater
Management Plan
Volume 1: Report Text, Tables and Figures
January, 2020
Town of Barnstable i Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS I
LIST OF TABLES V
LIST OF FIGURES VII
LIST OF APPENDICES X
1 INTRODUCTION 1-1
1.1 BACKGROUND 1-3
1.2 WASTEWATER PLANNING SCOPE 1-5
1.3 SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS RELEVANT WASTEWATER PLANNING IN BARNSTABLE 1-8
1.4 PUBLIC REVIEW AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 1-11
1.5 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS 1-12
1.6 ORGANIZATION OF CWMP 1-12
2 NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2-1
2.1 THE 2011 NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT 2-1
2.2 UPDATES TO THE 2011 NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT 2-1
2.2.1 UPDATE OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS 2-1
2.2.2 UPDATES TO EXISTING WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE 2-11
2.2.3 UPDATES TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE PERMITS 2-16
2.2.4 EXISTING WASTEWATER GENERATION 2-18
2.2.5 UPDATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS 2-18
2.2.6 FUTURE CONDITIONS 2-21
2.3 PROJECTS ALREADY UNDERWAY OR COMPLETED SINCE THE 2011 NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2-31
2.3.1 COOPERATIVE/INTER-MUNICIPAL INITIATIVES 2-31
2.3.2 NON-TRADITIONAL PROJECTS 2-34
2.3.3 TRADITIONAL APPROACH 2-38
2.4 SUMMARY OF THE NEEDS 2-43
3 EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGY ALTERNATIVES 3-1
3.1 SUMMARY OF CAPE COD COMMISSION 208 PLAN CHAPTER 4 3-1
3.2 TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES 3-1
3.2.2 NON-TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES 3-3
3.2.3 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS 3-5
4 FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RECOMMENDED PLAN 4-1
4.1 WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (WRAC), AND THE PLANNING PROCESS 4-1
4.2 APPROACH TO NON-TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS 4-4
4.3 PUBLIC CONSULTATION 4-5
4.4 SHARED WATERSHEDS WITH ADJOINING COMMUNITIES 4-6
4.4.1 SANDWICH 4-6
Town of Barnstable ii Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
4.4.2 MASHPEE 4-7
4.4.3 YARMOUTH 4-7
4.5 MAPPING TOOLS 4-7
5 RECOMMENDED PLAN 5-1
5.1.1 PHASING 5-1
5.1.2 PHASE 1 5-1
5.1.3 PHASE 2 5-2
5.1.4 PHASE 3 5-2
5.1.5 STAGES 5-3
5.1.6 PLAN SUMMARY 5-4
5.2 APPROACH BY WATERSHED 5-6
5.2.1 LEWIS BAY WATERSHED 5-6
5.2.2 HALLS CREEK WATERSHED 5-25
5.2.3 CENTERVILLE RIVER WATERSHED 5-42
5.2.4 THREE BAYS WATERSHED 5-60
5.2.5 RUSHY MARSH POND WATERSHED 5-81
5.2.6 POPPONESSET BAY WATERSHED 5-87
5.2.7 BARNSTABLE HARBOR WATERSHED 5-105
5.3 TREATMENT AND EFFLUENT DISPOSAL 5-122
5.3.1 WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY 5-122
5.3.2 EFFLUENT DISPOSAL 5-123
5.4 STATEMENT OF CONSISTENCY WITH 208 5-125
5.5 UPDATED MEP MODELING 5-128
6 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN/SCHEDULE 6-1
6.1 PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND RECOMMENDED CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT SCHEDULE 6-1
6.2 COORDINATION WITH NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES 6-5
6.2.1 MASHPEE 6-5
6.2.2 SANDWICH 6-5
6.2.3 YARMOUTH 6-6
6.2.4 WATERSHED PERMITS 6-6
6.3 MONITORING PLAN 6-7
6.3.1 EMBAYMENT MONITORING 6-7
6.3.2 NON-TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS MONITORING 6-7
6.4 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN 6-7
6.5 NEXT STEPS 6-8
7 FINANCIAL PLAN 7-1
7.1 FUNDING SOURCES 7-1
7.1.1 MEALS AND ROOMS TAX. 7-1
7.1.2 MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT FUND 7-1
7.1.3 SHORT-TERM RENTAL TAX 7-2
7.1.4 STABILIZATION FUND 7-2
7.1.5 CAPE COD & ISLANDS WATER PROTECTION FUND 7-2
7.1.6 SEWER ASSESSMENTS 7-2
Town of Barnstable iii Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.1.7 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGES 7-3
7.1.8 DEBT ISSUANCE 7-3
7.1.9 FEDERAL & STATE GRANTS 7-4
7.1.10 PROPERTY TAXES 7-4
7.2 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 7-4
7.2.1 SEWER ENTERPRISE FUND 7-4
7.2.2 SEWER CAPITAL FUND 7-4
7.2.3 SEWER ASSESSMENT FUND 7-5
7.2.4 SEWER CONSTRUCTION & PRIVATE WAY MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT FUND 7-5
7.2.5 STABILIZATION FUND 7-5
7.3 FINANCIAL PLAN ASSUMPTIONS AND FINANCIAL PROFORMA 7-6
7.3.1 FINANCING THE CONSTRUCTION COST 7-6
7.3.2 SEWER CONSTRUCTION AND PRIVATE WAY MAINTENANCE & IMPROVEMENT SPECIAL REVENUE FUND 7-6
7.3.3 CURRENT ROOMS AND MEALS TAX REVENUE 7-6
7.3.4 NEW – LOCAL ROOMS TAX ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS 7-7
7.3.5 CAPE COD & ISLANDS WATER PROTECTION FUND 7-8
7.3.6 INVESTMENT EARNINGS 7-8
7.3.7 SEWER ASSESSMENTS 7-8
7.3.8 INTEREST RATE ON SEWER ASSESSMENTS AND AMORTIZATION PERIOD 7-9
7.3.9 FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS AND OTHER SOURCES 7-9
7.3.10 PROJECT COSTS 7-10
7.3.11 INTEREST RATES ON LONG-TERM BORROWING 7-10
7.3.12 OTHER COSTS 7-10
7.3.13 CONNECTION COSTS AND CONNECTION REQUIREMENT. 7-10
7.3.14 LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE 7-11
7.3.15 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGE 7-11
7.3.16 SEWER UTILITY CHARGES 7-11
7.3.17 PROPERTY TAX CONTRIBUTION 7-12
7.3.18 DEBT LIMITATIONS 7-13
7.4 SUMMARY 7-13
7.4.1 SUMMARY OF ASSUMPTIONS 7-15
8 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 8-1
8.1 INTRODUCTION 8-1
8.2 ALTERNATIVES TO THE RECOMMENDED PLAN 8-1
8.3 ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 8-1
8.3.1 SURFACE WATER QUALITY 8-2
8.3.2 GROUNDWATER QUALITY 8-2
8.3.3 WETLANDS 8-3
8.3.4 FLOODPLAINS 8-3
8.3.5 COASTAL RESOURCES 8-3
8.3.6 OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION 8-3
8.3.7 RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES 8-4
8.3.8 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES 8-4
8.3.9 TRAFFIC 8-5
8.3.10 AIR QUALITY 8-5
8.3.11 NOISE 8-6
8.3.12 EROSION CONTROL 8-6
Town of Barnstable iv Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
8.3.13 WASTE MATERIAL 8-6
8.3.14 EXISTING VEGETATION 8-6
8.3.15 ENERGY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 8-7
8.3.16 GENERATION OF SOLID WASTE 8-8
8.3.17 PUBLIC HEALTH 8-9
8.3.18 COMMUNITY GROWTH AND LAND USE 8-9
8.3.19 ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE 8-9
8.4 PERMITTING AND APPROVALS 8-10
8.5 MITIGATION MEASURES 8-11
8.6 IMPLICATIONS OF A “NO ACTION PLAN” 8-11
Town of Barnstable v Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1-1: The Phases of the CWMP ____________________________________________________________ 1-6
Table 2-1: Carlson Trophic State Index __________________________________________________________ 2-2
Table 2-2: 2017 Supplemental Ponds Water Quality Assessment ______________________________________ 2-3
Table 2-3: TN Concentrations in Watersheds ______________________________________________________ 2-5
Table 2-4: Nitrogen Removal Targets by Watershed (Source: Cape Cod Commission, 2016) ________________ 2-7
Table 2-5: Special Stormwater Drainage Systems __________________________________________________ 2-8
Table 2-6: BWPCF Effluent Discharge Limitations ________________________________________________ 2-17
Table 2-7: MMWWTP Effluent Discharge Limitations _____________________________________________ 2-17
Table 2-8: Existing Wastewater Generation by Watershed __________________________________________ 2-18
Table 2-9: Town of Barnstable Population Trends _________________________________________________ 2-21
Table 2-10: Town of Barnstable Building Permits _________________________________________________ 2-23
Table 2-11: Town of Barnstable Households, 1990-2015 ___________________________________________ 2-24
Table 2-12: Future Residential Wastewater Generation – “Ultimate” Buildout ___________________________ 2-26
Table 2-13: Future Commercial Wastewater Generation – “Ultimate” Buildout __________________________ 2-27
Table 2-14: Future Residential Wastewater Generation – “Realistic” Buildout ___________________________ 2-29
Table 2-15: Future Commercial Wastewater Generation – “Realistic” Buildout __________________________ 2-30
Table 2-16: Nitrogen Load Sharing by Town – Popponesset Bay Watershed IMA ________________________ 2-32
Table 2-17: Stewart’s Creek Sewer Extension ____________________________________________________ 2-39
Table 2-18: Phinney’s Lane Sewer Expansion Project Summary _____________________________________ 2-40
Table 2-19: Long Pond Sewer Expansion Project Summary _________________________________________ 2-40
Table 2-20: Strawberry Hill Sewer Expansion Project Summary _____________________________________ 2-41
Table 2-21: Old Yarmouth Road Sewer Expansion Project Summary __________________________________ 2-41
Table 2-22: Summary of the Needs ____________________________________________________________ 2-43
Table 5-1: Sewer Expansion Plan - Phasing Statistics _______________________________________________ 5-3
Table 5-2: Sewer Expansion Plan - Staging Statistics _______________________________________________ 5-3
Table 5-3: Sewer Expansion Plan Summary ______________________________________________________ 5-4
Table 5-4: Lewis Bay Watershed Pond Classification 2009 ___________________________________________ 5-9
Table 5-5: Lewis Bay Watershed Pond Classification 2017 __________________________________________ 5-10
Table 5-6: Halls Creek Watershed Pond Classification 2009 _________________________________________ 5-27
Table 5-7: Halls Creek Watershed Pond Classification 2017 _________________________________________ 5-27
Table 5-8: Centerville River Watershed Pond classification 2009 _____________________________________ 5-45
Table 5-9: Centerville River Watershed Pond classification 2017 _____________________________________ 5-45
Table 5-10: MEP Threshold Septic Loading Modeling Scenario Summary _____________________________ 5-61
Table 5-11: Proposed Un-Attenuated Nitrogen Removal in the Three Bays Watershed by Traditional Solutions __ 5-62
Table 5-12: Three Bays Watershed Pond classification 2009 ________________________________________ 5-64
Table 5-13: Three Bays Watershed Pond classification 2017 ________________________________________ 5-64
Table 5-14: Nitrogen Allocation from Popponesset Bay Watershed IMA _______________________________ 5-88
Table 5-15:Popponesset Bay Watershed Pond classification 2009 ____________________________________ 5-91
Table 5-16: Barnstable Harbor Watershed Pond Classification 2009 Study ____________________________ 5-107
Table 5-17: Barnstable Harbor Watershed Pond Classification 2017 Study ____________________________ 5-108
Table 5-18: Summary of SMAST Watershed analysis. ____________________________________________ 5-130
Table 6-1: Phase 1 Traditional Project Statistics ___________________________________________________ 6-1
Table 6-2: Phase 1 Sewer Collection System Expansion CIP Schedule __________________________________ 6-3
Table 6-3: Phase 1 Treatment Plant Upgrades CIP Schedule __________________________________________ 6-4
Table 7-1: Meals and Rooms Tax Projection ______________________________________________________ 7-7
Table 7-2: Short-term Rental Tax Projection______________________________________________________ 7-7
Town of Barnstable vi Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 7-3: CCIWPF Projection ________________________________________________________________ 7-8
Table 7-4: Funding Sources __________________________________________________________________ 7-14
Table 7-5: Inputs ___________________________________________________________________________ 7-15
Table 7-6: Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Funding Proforma ___________________________ 7-16
Town of Barnstable vii Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1-1: Location of the Town of Barnstable __________________________________________________ 1-14
Figure 2-1: Watershed Boundaries _____________________________________________________________ 2-44
Figure 2-2: Groundwater Contours _____________________________________________________________ 2-45
Figure 2-3: Named Freshwater Bodies __________________________________________________________ 2-46
Figure 2-4: Present Sewer ____________________________________________________________________ 2-47
Figure 2-5: Storm Water Infrastructure _________________________________________________________ 2-48
Figure 2-6: Water Supply ____________________________________________________________________ 2-49
Figure 2-7: Zoning and ACEC ________________________________________________________________ 2-50
Figure 2-8: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) _________________________________________________________ 2-51
Figure 2-9: NHESP Priority Habitats and Estimated Habitats ________________________________________ 2-52
Figure 2-10: NHESP Certified Vernal Pools and Potential Vernal Pools________________________________ 2-53
Figure 2-11: Sentinel Stations ________________________________________________________________ 2-54
Figure 2-12: Nitrogen Loading Hotspots ________________________________________________________ 2-55
Figure 2-13: State-designated Wellhead Protection Areas ___________________________________________ 2-56
Figure 2-14: Town of Barnstable Groundwater Protection Overlay Districts ____________________________ 2-57
Figure 2-15: MEP Modeled Existing Target Septic Load Removal ____________________________________ 2-58
Figure 2-16: MEP Modeled Future Target Septic Load Removal _____________________________________ 2-59
Figure 2-17: Phinney’s Lane Sewer Expansion Project _____________________________________________ 2-60
Figure 2-18: Long Pond Sewer Expansion Project _________________________________________________ 2-61
Figure 2-19: Strawberry Hill Road Sewer Expansion Project ________________________________________ 2-62
Figure 2-20: Old Yarmouth Road Sewer Expansion Project _________________________________________ 2-63
Figure 2-21: Route 28 Centerville (MMWWTF Transition) Project ___________________________________ 2-64
Figure 2-22: Merchant’s Lane Sewer Expansion Project ____________________________________________ 2-65
Figure 2-23: Cotuit Sewer Evaluation / Cotuit “Staging” Plan________________________________________ 2-66
Figure 2-24: Wastewater Needs Areas __________________________________________________________ 2-67
Figure 5-1: Sewer Expansion Phasing Plan _______________________________________________________ 5-5
Figure 5-2: Lewis Bay Watershed _____________________________________________________________ 5-13
Figure 5-3: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Load Removal in Lewis Bay Watershed ______________________ 5-14
Figure 5-4: MEP-modeled Future Septic Load Removal in Lewis Bay Watershed ________________________ 5-15
Figure 5-5: Impaired Ponds in Lewis Bay Watershed ______________________________________________ 5-16
Figure 5-6: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Lewis Bay Watershed _____________________________________ 5-17
Figure 5-7: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Lewis Bay Watershed ___________________ 5-18
Figure 5-8: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Lewis Bay Watershed _________________________________ 5-19
Figure 5-9: Public Water Supply Wells in Lewis Bay Watershed _____________________________________ 5-20
Figure 5-10: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Lewis Bay Watershed _________________ 5-21
Figure 5-11: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Lewis Bay Watershed _______________________________ 5-22
Figure 5-12: Needs Areas in Lewis Bay Watershed ________________________________________________ 5-23
Figure 5-13: Sewer Expansion Plan in Lewis Bay Watershed ________________________________________ 5-24
Figure 5-14: Halls Creek Watershed ___________________________________________________________ 5-30
Figure 5-15: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Halls Creek Watershed _________________________ 5-31
Figure 5-16: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Halls Creek Watershed ___________________________ 5-32
Figure 5-17: Impaired Ponds in Halls Creek Watershed ____________________________________________ 5-33
Figure 5-18: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Halls Creek Watershed ___________________________________ 5-34
Figure 5-19: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Halls Creek Watershed _________________ 5-35
Figure 5-20: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Halls Creek Watershed _______________________________ 5-36
Figure 5-21: Public Water Supply Wells in Halls Creek Watershed ___________________________________ 5-37
Town of Barnstable viii Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-22: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Halls Creek Watershed ________________ 5-38
Figure 5-23: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Halls Creek Watershed _______________________________ 5-39
Figure 5-24: Needs Areas in Halls Creek Watershed _______________________________________________ 5-40
Figure 5-25: Sewer Expansion Plan in Halls Creek Watershed _______________________________________ 5-41
Figure 5-26: Centerville River Watershed _______________________________________________________ 5-48
Figure 5-27: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Centerville River Watershed _____________________ 5-49
Figure 5-28: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Centerville River Watershed ______________________ 5-50
Figure 5-29: Impaired Ponds in Centerville River Watershed ________________________________________ 5-51
Figure 5-30: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Centerville River Watershed _______________________________ 5-52
Figure 5-31: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Centerville River Watershed _____________ 5-53
Figure 5-32: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Centerville River Watershed ___________________________ 5-54
Figure 5-33: Public Water Supply Wells in Centerville River Watershed _______________________________ 5-55
Figure 5-34: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Watershed __________________________ 5-56
Figure 5-35: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Centerville River Watershed __________________________ 5-57
Figure 5-36: Needs Areas in Centerville River Watershed ___________________________________________ 5-58
Figure 5-37: Sewer Expansion Plan in Centerville River Watershed ___________________________________ 5-59
Figure 5-38: Three Bays Watershed ____________________________________________________________ 5-68
Figure 5-39: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Three Bays Watershed _________________________ 5-69
Figure 5-40: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Three Bays Watershed ___________________________ 5-70
Figure 5-41: Impaired Ponds in Three Bays Watershed _____________________________________________ 5-71
Figure 5-42: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Three Bays Watershed ___________________________________ 5-72
Figure 5-43: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Three Bays Watershed __________________ 5-73
Figure 5-44: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Three Bays Watershed ________________________________ 5-74
Figure 5-45: Public Water Supply Wells in Three Bays Watershed ____________________________________ 5-75
Figure 5-46: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Three Bays Watershed ________________ 5-76
Figure 5-47: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Three Bays Watershed _______________________________ 5-77
Figure 5-48: Needs Areas in Three Bays Watershed _______________________________________________ 5-78
Figure 5-49: Sewer Expansion Plan in Three Bays Watershed _______________________________________ 5-79
Figure 5-50: Non-Traditional Projects __________________________________________________________ 5-80
Figure 5-51: Rushy Marsh New Inlet, Newly Installed, Perspective Looking Toward Nantucket Sound _______ 5-83
Figure 5-52: Rushy Marsh New Inlet, After Shoaling, Perspective from Nantucket Sound _________________ 5-83
Figure 5-53: Rushy Marsh Watershed __________________________________________________________ 5-84
Figure 5-54: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Rushy Marsh Pond Watershed _____________________________ 5-85
Figure 5-55: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Rushy Marsh Watershed _______________ 5-86
Figure 5-56: Popponesset Bay Watershed Boundary _______________________________________________ 5-94
Figure 5-57: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Watershed ___________________________________ 5-95
Figure 5-58: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Watershed ____________________________________ 5-96
Figure 5-59: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Popponesset Bay Watershed _______________________________ 5-97
Figure 5-60: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Popponesset Bay Watershed _____________ 5-98
Figure 5-61: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Popponesset Bay Watershed ___________________________ 5-99
Figure 5-62: Public Water Supply Wells in Popponesset Bay Watershed ______________________________ 5-100
Figure 5-63: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Popponesset Bay Watershed ___________ 5-101
Figure 5-64: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Popponesset Bay Watershed _________________________ 5-102
Figure 5-65: Needs Areas in Popponesset Bay Watershed __________________________________________ 5-103
Figure 5-66: Sewer Expansion Plan in Popponesset Bay Watershed __________________________________ 5-104
Figure 5-67: Barnstable Harbor Watershed _____________________________________________________ 5-111
Figure 5-68: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Barnstable Harbor Watershed ___________________ 5-112
Figure 5-69: Impaired Ponds in Barnstable Harbor Watershed ______________________________________ 5-113
Figure 5-70: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Barnstable Harbor Watershed _____________________________ 5-114
Town of Barnstable ix Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-71: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Barnstable Harbor Watershed ___________ 5-115
Figure 5-72: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Barnstable Harbor Watershed _________________________ 5-116
Figure 5-73: Public Water Supply Wells in Barnstable Harbor Watershed _____________________________ 5-117
Figure 5-74: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Barnstable Harbor Watershed __________ 5-118
Figure 5-75: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Barnstable Harbor Watershed ________________________ 5-119
Figure 5-76: Needs Areas in Barnstable Harbor Watershed _________________________________________ 5-120
Figure 5-77: Sewer Expansion Plan in Barnstable Harbor Watershed _________________________________ 5-121
Figure 6-1: Phase 1 Implementation Plan _________________________________________________________ 6-2
Figure 7-1: Growth in Sewer Connections _______________________________________________________ 7-12
Figure 7-2: Cashflow Summary for CWMP ______________________________________________________ 7-14
Town of Barnstable x Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A: Cape Cod Commission (CCC) 208 Plan
Appendix B: CCC Barnstable Harbor Watershed Report
Appendix C: CCC Centerville River Watershed Report
Appendix D: CCC Lewis Bay Watershed Report
Appendix E: CCC Three Bays Watershed Report
Appendix F: CCC Popponesset Bay Watershed Report
Appendix G: CCC Rushy Marsh Watershed Report
Appendix H: Injection Well Pilot Testing Evaluation; March 2003
Appendix I: Lake Wequaquet, Long Pond and Cape Cod Community College Sewer Extension Preliminary Design
Report; September 2003
Appendix J: Preliminary Evaluation of the Cape Cod Community College for Treated Water Recharge; November 2003
Appendix K: Preliminary Evaluation of the Lorusso Property for Treated Water Recharge; November 2003
Appendix L: Effluent Mitigation Investigation Project – Candidate Site Evaluation and Comparison; December 2003
Appendix M: Preliminary Evaluation of the McManus Property for Treated Water Recharge; May 2004
Appendix N: Preliminary Evaluation of the Barnstable Municipal Airport for Treated Water Recharge; May 2004
Appendix O: Benchmark Evaluation to Investigate Groundwater Mounding Downgradient of the Hyannis WPCF;
February 2005
Appendix P: Effluent Disposal and Reuse Planning Guidance Document and Case Study Report; February 2005
Appendix Q: Infiltration Loading Tests, McManus Site; October 2005
Appendix R: Needs Assessment Report Comprehensive Wastewater Management Planning (CWMP) Project Town
of Barnstable, MA; May 2011
Appendix 1-1 of Appendix R: Final Wastewater Facilities Plan and Final Environmental Impact Report for the
Town of Barnstable; March 2007
Appendix S: 2017 PALS STUDY
Appendix T: MEP Technical Report for Popponesset Bay; MEP, September 2004.
Appendix U: MassDEP TMDL Report for Popponesset Bay; MassDEP, April 10, 2006.
Appendix V: MEP Technical Report for Rushy Marsh; MEP, April 2006
Appendix W: MEP Technical Report for Three Bay System; MEP, April 2006.
Appendix X: MassDEP TMDL Report for Three Bay System; MassDEP, September 7, 2007.
Appendix Y: MEP Technical Report for Centerville River System; MEP, November 2006.
Appendix Z: MassDEP TMDL Report for Centerville River System; MassDEP, January 29, 2008.
Appendix AA: MEP Technical Report for Lewis Bay (and Halls Creek); MEP, December 2008.
Appendix BB: MassDEP TMDL Report for Lewis Bay System and Halls Creek, March 2015
Appendix CC: MEP Draft Technical Report for Barnstable Harbor, June 2017
Appendix DD: Groundwater Protection Overlay Districts (Barnstable Town Code 240-35)
Appendix EE: Interim Saltwater Estuary Regulation (Barnstable Town Code 360-45)
Appendix FF: 2016 Final Barnstable SewerCAD Tech Memo
Appendix GG: BWPCD Groundwater Discharge Permit
Appendix HH: Marstons Mills Wastewater Treatment Facility Groundwater Discharge Permit
Appendix II: Popponesset Bay Watershed Inter-municipal Agreement
Appendix JJ: Feasibility Analysis of Shared Wastewater Treatment and Effluent Recharge between Barnstable,
MA and Yarmouth, MA
Appendix KK: Report - JBCC Wastewater Evaluation
Appendix LL: Shared Wastewater Management Study 2017
Appendix MM: Conveyance Alternative Analysis
Appendix NN: JBCC Section 2 Updates
Appendix OO: Fresh Pond Restoration and Management Benthic Nutrient Flux of Mill Pond
Appendix PP: Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorous Control Ordinance (Barnstable Town Code Chapter 78)
Appendix QQ: SMAST Summary of Barnstable Watershed Loading and Modeling Update
Appendix RR: Memo: Greenhouse Gas Review
Appendix SS: Action Plan for the Barnstable Ponds
Town of Barnstable 1-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
1 INTRODUCTION
Communities undertake wastewater planning to address some, or all, of the following issues:
Protection of surface waters, including nutrient loading
Public health concerns
Protection of groundwater and drinking water resources
Addressing aesthetics and convenience concerns attributable to wastewater issues
Support of sustainable, community aligned, economic development
The primary focus of recent wastewater plans on Cape Cod has been nutrient removal,
particularly nitrogen removal, as nitrogen has been shown to be causing eutrophication in coastal
embayments. The prevalence of nitrogen has become an issue due to the widespread reliance on
on-site septic systems as a means of addressing wastewater. The Cape Cod Commission (CCC),
via its Cape Cod Area-Wide Water Quality Management Plan Update, or “208 Plan”, has been a
strong proponent of wastewater planning for this reason. However, there are other important
wastewater-related issues in the Town of Barnstable that also require attention. Those include, in
no particular order: nutrient contamination of ponds (principally via phosphorus); Contaminants
of Emerging Concern (CECs) affecting water resources and drinking water sources like, 1,4-
dioxane, perflorinated compounds (including Perfluorooctane sulfonate–PFOS, and
Perfluorooctanoic acid-PFOA), etc.; and desired economic development that is limited or
restricted due to the lack of wastewater solutions. As a result, the Town of Barnstable’s
wastewater planning efforts address the required nitrogen issues, while at the same time also
accounting for its other wastewater needs.
Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plans (CWMPs), and wastewater plans in general, are
documents that provide the community guidance as it addresses wastewater challenges. CWMPs
are often town-wide plans that identify water resource and water quality issues; suggest well
thought out, efficient solutions to those issues; translates those solutions into the beginnings of
projects; and recommends ways to fund and schedule those projects that makes sense for the
community and solves the underlying problem.
The Town of Barnstable (Town) undertook the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
planning effort by appointing a Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC), which was
comprised of 11 members including citizens and three Town Councilors, and was supported by
the Department of Public Works (DPW) staff. Its purpose was “...to advise the Town of
Barnstable on the completion and implementation of its Comprehensive Water Resource
Management Planning Process, with the goal of protecting and restoring the Town’s fresh and
saltwater bodies and it drinking water supplies, in compliance with the Cape Cod Commission’s
Town of Barnstable 1-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Cape Cod Area-Wide Water Quality Management Plan Update of 2015 (the 208 Plan)”. The
committee met from January 2016 until August 2017 when it presented its findings to the Town
Council. During that time the committee:
Assembled the data from previous planning efforts (wastewater and otherwise), and
other available sources.
Identified “holes” in the existing data, and then set about addressing those data gaps.
Created a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based tool (The Tool) that allowed
the WRAC and DPW to evaluate on a lot-by-lot basis.
o Poor sanitary conditions and public health issues, such as:
excessively or poorly draining soils
high groundwater
failed septic systems
lot density
inadequate set-back from private wells/property lines
direct discharge of sanitary wastewater to a water body
o Water Supply Protection issues including identifying “impaired” or endangered
wells and the sources of the impairments that are likely impacting them
o Properties/areas causing nutrient enrichment in surface waters (both marine
estuaries and freshwater ponds)
o Convenience and aesthetic issues including needing mounded septic systems,
septic systems located in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Mapped velocity zones, systems that require excessive pumping, or are in areas
where it is very expensive to install on-site wastewater solutions
o Areas where economic development was desired, yet difficult due to the lack of
viable wastewater options.
Utilized the Tool to understand the various wastewater needs and requirements, and
devise solutions for those needs.
Met with regulators from both the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and
Cape Cod Commission.
Facilitated the meeting of Town Staff with adjoining town’s staffs to find efficiencies
and areas where common solutions could be used to address regional wastewater
needs.
Conducted public meetings, had staff create public outreach programs utilizing the
Town’s local government access television station, and public outreach meetings with
the village associations that requested them.
Complied with the Cape Cod Commission’s 208 Plan process, including the
submission of “Bookends” Plan.
Presented its recommended plan to the Town Council.
Town of Barnstable 1-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
The CWMP is intended to document the results of those efforts and present the Town’s preferred
approach for addressing its wastewater and water resource needs.
This CWMP is intended to be a working document. The Town is required to submit an adaptive
management plan update every five years. The following is list of items that, among other
unforeseen items, the Town anticipates the first adaptive management plan in 2025 will provide
updates to:
Progress towards effluent disposal solutions
Financial plan updates
Status of Route 28 sewer backbone to serve the western portion of the Town
Project schedules and projects completed.
Barnstable WPCF upgrades
Continued improvements to existing collection system via pump station rehabilitation and
infiltration/inflow programs
Continued progress towards permitting, design and construction of non-traditional
solutions
Continued discussions with neighboring communities relative to potential inter-municipal
partnerships and watershed permits within shared watersheds
Continued discussions relative to Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) and other potential
western solutions
Status of sewer expansion “stages”
Updates in build-out projections
Monitoring and sampling update
Policy decisions
1.1 BACKGROUND
The Town of Barnstable is located in the middle portion of Cape Cod as shown in Figure 1-1. Its
year-round population is 45,193 (US Census 2010) while seasonal population can grow to more
than three times that amount. It is organized into seven villages, and contains eight watersheds
(no geographic relationship to the villages) including the Popponesset Bay Watershed, Rushy
Marsh Watershed, Three Bays System Watershed, Centerville River System Watershed, Halls
Creek Watershed, Lewis Bay Watershed, Barnstable Harbor Watershed and a very small portion
of the Scorton Creek Watershed. Of these watersheds, three are contained solely within the
Town’s borders (Centerville River System Watershed, Halls Creek Watershed and Rushy Marsh
Watershed), while the rest are shared with neighboring communities. Five of the eight
watersheds have a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nitrogen.
Town of Barnstable 1-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
A TMDL is the maximum pollutant load a water body can receive and still meet water quality
standards. TMDLs are created through a cooperative process involving multiple agencies. In the
example of establishing TMDLs for nitrogen on Cape Cod, the process began with the
Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP); a collaborative effort between DEP, University of
Massachusetts School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), United States Geological
Survey (USGS), and others. The MEP developed nitrogen thresholds for 70 estuaries in
Southeast Massachusetts using a water quality model that predicts water quality changes
resulting from land use decisions. The model is run with different watershed loading values to
demonstrate the “nitrogen threshold” can be met, which is the upper limit of nitrogen loading
that can enter the estuary and still meet water quality goals. Once MEP has established the
nitrogen thresholds, DEP takes those numbers and prepares a draft TMDL for the water body.
The draft TMDLs are then sent to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
for approval, which once that happens, are enforceable. As of the writing of this CWMP,
TMDLs are in place for Popponesset Bay, Scorton Creek, the Three Bays System, the
Centerville River System, Halls Creek, and Lewis Bay. The Town is waiting for the
determination of TMDLs for Barnstable Harbor and per discussions with MassDEP is not
expecting one for Rushy Marsh.
The Town draws its public water supplies from groundwater which is part of Cape Cod’s Sole
Source Aquifer. This water is distributed to its citizens via one of four different water purveyors,
or private wells. Those purveyors include the Hyannis Water System which provides water to
the Village of Hyannis and has 12 supply wells; the Barnstable Fire District which provides
water to the Village of Barnstable by means of four supply wells; the Cotuit Water District which
uses five wells to provide water to the Village of Cotuit; and the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons
Mills (C-O-MM) Water District which utilizes 19 wells to supply water to the Villages of
Centerville, Osterville, and Marstons Mills. The Village of West Barnstable does not have a
public water supply system, so properties there rely exclusively on private wells for their water.
The Hyannis Water System is owned and operated by the Town, whereas the other three water
purveyors are non-municipal water/fire districts.
The Town has 184 ponds, totaling 1,892 acres. Of these, 74 are named ponds and 25 are
considered great ponds, which DEP defines as any pond or lake of 10 or more acres.
The Town’s existing wastewater infrastructure includes the Barnstable Water Pollution Control
Facility (BWPCF) located in Hyannis, a smaller wastewater plant in Marstons Mills referred to
as the Marstons Mills Wastewater Treatment Plant (MMWWTP), the Red Lilly Pond cluster
septic system, and their associated collection systems. The BWPCF treats an average daily flow
of 1.67 million gallons per day (MGD) and has a maximum-month average daily flow of 1.97
MGD (2018 flow data). The BWPCF is permitted for a treatment capacity of 4.2 MGD and an
effluent disposal capacity of 2.7 MGD. The Hyannis facility’s collection system dates back to
Town of Barnstable 1-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
1937, and includes approximately 55 miles of sewer, which collects flows from approximately
2,300 acres of catchment area. Within that 55 miles are 1.5 miles of vacuum sewer, and 1.2
miles of low pressure sewer, with the rest being gravity sewer. The collection system also
includes 27 pump stations and an associated 25.5 miles of force mains. Contributors to the
sewers include a mix of residential and commercial users within portions of the villages of
Hyannis and Barnstable. The MMWWTP is a much smaller facility, which serves the Barnstable
United Elementary School, West Villages Elementary School and a 30-unit housing trust
development on an adjacent property. The facility is permitted to treat 42,900 gallons per day
(gpd). Of this, the school is allotted 30,000 gpd while the Housing Trust is allotted 12,000 gpd.
The Town also maintains the Red Lily pond cluster septic system in Centerville. The system
consists of a network of 17 grinder pumps and approximately 1,300 linear feet of low pressure
sewer serving 17 of homes feeding into a communal septic system.
1.2 WASTEWATER PLANNING SCOPE
Traditionally, CWMPs are developed for communities by consultants, and usually organized into
four phases:
Needs Assessment
Identification, Screening and Evaluation of Alternatives
Develop and Formalize Recommended Plan
Environmental Notification and Form Filing (MEPA and Cape Cod
Commission 208 Consistency processes)
A listing of the tasks found in each phase is included in Table 1-1.
The Town of Barnstable generally adopted this same approach, but diverged from it in the
following key ways:
The Town is fortunate to have a highly qualified technical staff, with a number of
licensed engineers, many of whom have previously worked as consultants addressing
wastewater issues for communities. As a result, the Town elected to utilize these
resources and create the plan in-house versus hiring consultants.
The Town had previously engaged in a number of wastewater planning efforts, some
quite recently, that were leveraged to provide a strong foundation to this report.
With the CCC development of the 208 Plan, much of the work that was traditionally
required in the Identification and Evaluation of Alternatives Section was included in
Chapter 4 of that document. As a result, the Town elected to leverage that work in its
planning process and report development.
The Town created its own GIS-based tool to evaluate, on a parcel-by-parcel basis, the
various wastewater needs of the community. This was used to formulate the plan,
Town of Barnstable 1-6 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
though ultimately the plan’s results were review and confirmed by the SMAST MEP
model.
Table 1-1: The Phases of the CWMP
PHASE TASKS
Phase I:
Needs
Assessment
Document property type, seasonality, land use, soil conditions,
watersheds and environmentally sensitive areas
Document existing water quality in each watershed
Identify the water use for each of the parcels
Formulate a GIS Tool for parcels that evaluates:
Sanitary Conditions/Identified public health issues
excessively or poorly draining soils
high groundwater
failed septic systems
lot density
inadequate set-back from private wells/property lines
Title 5 variances
Flood Zones
Water Supply Protection
Identified “impaired” or endangered wells and
neighborhoods likely impacting them
Surface Waters - Nutrient Enrichment
Marine – SMAST Modeling and CCC 208
Freshwater – Town sampling and study of ponds
Convenience and Aesthetic Issues
Identified Mounded septic systems, velocity zones,
and excessive septage pumping
Wastewater needs to allow Sustainable Economic
Development
Identify existing municipal and private wastewater infrastructure
Identify requirements and collaboration potential with adjoining
towns that share watersheds with Barnstable
Phase II:
Identification,
Screening, and
Evaluation of
Alternatives
Using the CCC 208 Plan Chapter 4, identify all technically feasible
options to address the wastewater needs
o Traditional and non-traditional alternatives
o Structural and non-structural alternatives
Compare alternatives with respect to the following factors:
o Efficacy of the solution and probability of success
o Proximity of the issue to existing infrastructure
o Capital and operations and maintenance costs
Town of Barnstable 1-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
o Speed of impact on the problem
o Ability of the solution to address more than one wastewater
need
o Perceived public and political perception and acceptance
Meet with adjoining towns that share watersheds with Barnstable to
identify synergies
Phase III:
Formulation of
Plan
Identify the best alternative or combinations of alternatives for each
sub-watershed and watershed
Craft a plan and schedule for implementation
Prepare conceptual designs of traditional and nontraditional
components
Develop capital cost estimates
Develop financial strategy and impacts on users and non-users
Consult with the public through workshops, hearings and reports
Submit Draft CWMP Table of Contents to DEP for review
Submit Draft CWMP to DEP for review
Phase IV: MEPA
and DRI Reviews
Prepare Environmental Notification Form and Environmental Impact
Reports
File 208 Consistency application
Respond to comments
Town of Barnstable 1-8 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
1.3 SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS RELEVANT WASTEWATER
PLANNING IN BARNSTABLE
1.3.1 INJECTION WELL PILOT TESTING EVALUATION MARCH; 2003
A pilot test was executed in 2003, to evaluate the feasibility of injecting treated wastewater into
the subsurface using an injection well. The pilot test was conducted in two phases. Phase I used
treated effluent, ending in 11 days as a result of well plugging of the injection zone. The
plugging was attributed to the buildup of bacteria at the formation face of the injected zone.
Phase II used potable water, where approximately 7 million gallons were injected and was
sustained for approximately three months.
From the results, the study demonstrated that filtration and disinfection must be enhanced to
levels greater than those used during the pilot test before it can be considered as an alternative
for the Town. A copy of the report has been provided in Appendix H.
1.3.2 LAKE WEQUAQUET, LONG POND AND CAPE COD
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SEWER EXTENSION PRELIMINARY
DESIGN REPORT; SEPTEMBER 2003
In 2003, a sewer extension evaluation was performed for the neighborhoods surrounding Lake
Wequaquet, Long Pond, Bearse Pond and Shallow Pond in the Town of Barnstable, as well as
Cape Cod Community College. Four sewer extension alternatives were developed in order to
determine the most economical preliminary sewer design to serve the area.
Alternative 3, a combination of gravity and low pressure sewers, was the recommended
alternative. This alternative provided the lowest construction cost and lowest 50-year life cycle
cost. In addition, this alternative was expected to have the least significant impact on the
environment and the neighborhoods surrounding Lake Wequaquet and Long Pond. A copy of
the report has been provided in Appendix I.
1.3.3 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF CAPE COD COMMUNITY
COLLEGE FOR TREATED WATER RECHARGE; NOVEMBER
2003
An evaluation was completed in 2003, regarding the use of Cape Cod Community College for
the recharge of treated municipal wastewater. After reviewing a few locations, it was decided a
wooded area on the northeast side of the college property would be the site for the investigation.
Town of Barnstable 1-9 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
The investigation resulted in the conclusion that the College has the potential to be a suitable site
to discharge treated effluent. If open sand beds are utilized a recharge capacity of approximately
one million gallons per day is possible. If leaching trenches are used, the recharge capacity is
reduced to approximately 660,000 gallons per day. A copy of the report has been provided in
Appendix J.
1.3.4 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE LORUSSO PROPERTY
FOR TREATED WATER RECHARGE; NOVEMBER 2003
A preliminary evaluation was completed of the Lorusso Property, located along the power lines,
just south of Route 6, for the recharge of treated effluent. The property is approximately 11 acres
and is comprised of lightly vegetated, undulating terrain.
It was found the site contains soils that are finer grained but that the deeper subsurface soils
would have the capacity to receive the recharged water. The report concluded the Lorusso
Property had potential to be a site to discharge treated effluent. A copy of the report has been
provided in Appendix K.
1.3.5 EFFLUENT MITIGATION INVESTIGATION PROJECT –
CANDIDATE SITE EVALUATION AND COMPARISON;
DECEMBER 2003
In 2003 a study was completed to identify specific sites for effluent discharge. The evaluation
was completed on four sites. Out of the four sites two were chosen to be most favorable.
The sites chosen were the McManus site and the Cape Cod Community College site. Both were
identified for the ability to support sand bed technology, which provides a low cost alternative on
a dollar per flow basis. They also offered an estimated capacity of over 1.5 MGD. A copy of the
report has been provided in Appendix L.
1.3.6 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE MCMANUS PROPERTY
FOR TREATED WATER RECHARGE; MAY 2004
The Town of Barnstable consulted with Stearns & Wheler (now known as GHD) for an
evaluation of the McManus site, located between 1860-1910 Iyannough Road (Route 132), to
determine its suitability for wastewater reclamation through groundwater recharge.
The report found that the site has advantages due to its proximity to the WPCF, not being located
in Barnstable Fire District Well #3 and of being comprised of relatively clean sand. It was
reported that the site did have disadvantages of irregular topography, and the potentially low
hydraulic conductivity in the deeper sand. It was concluded it should be considered a viable
Town of Barnstable 1-10 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
remote discharge site, despite the disadvantages identified. A copy of the report has been
provided in Appendix M.
1.3.7 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE BARNSTABLE
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT FOR TREATED WATER RECHARGE;
MAY 2004
An evaluation was performed to see if the Barnstable Municipal Airport property would be an
acceptable location for the recharge of treated effluent.
The evaluation concluded the Airport had potential to be an ideal site to discharge treated
effluent. Soil type, topography, distance from sensitive receiving water, and proximity to the
WPCF all contributed to this conclusion. A copy of the report has been provided in Appendix N.
1.3.8 BENCHMARK EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE
GROUNDWATER MOUNDING DOWNGRADIENT OF THE
BARNSTABLE WPCF; FEBRUARY 2005
In 2005, an evaluation was performed to determine the Benchmark Elevation at which
groundwater mounding may occur at parcels in the vicinity of the Barnstable Water Pollution
Control Facility (WPCF). Its primary objective was to determine the amount of wastewater that
could be discharged at the Barnstable WPCF without causing potential flooding to structures or
septic systems due to resultant groundwater mounding.
The evaluation found that the Town of Barnstable should base its effluent management plans on
criteria other than a specific defined Benchmark Elevation and the resultant limited flow rate. It
was determined that the Town should pursue remote discharge sites for monthly flows greater
than 2.5 MGD during periods of high groundwater to accommodate needed additional capacity.
It was also recommended the Town carry out a monthly groundwater elevation monitoring
program in the area surrounding the BWPCF so that potential impacts can be predicted. A copy
of the report has been provided in Appendix O.
1.3.9 EFFLUENT DISPOSAL AND REUSE PLANNING GUIDANCE
DOCUMENT AND CASE STUDY REPORT; FEBRUARY 2005
A case study was performed in 2005, with the purpose to assist communities in completing the
process of finding suitable land for discharging treated wastewater and to determine which of the
many disposal technologies best meets the community’s needs. A copy of the report has been
provided in Appendix P.
Town of Barnstable 1-11 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
1.3.10 INFILTRATION LOADING TESTS, MCMANUS SITE; OCTOBER
2005
A preliminary evaluation was completed that determined the McManus Site to be a favorable
location for treated wastewater recharge. It was determined that further testing was needed to
evaluate the sites hydrogeologic suitability and infiltration capacity.
The Town determined that subsurface leaching trenches would be a preferred recharge
technology for this site. It was estimated that if leaching trenches were laid out in 200-foot by
100-foot fields there would be room for 35 leaching fields. Based on that estimate it was
determined that the site would have capacity of 1.6 MGD. A copy of the report has been
provided in Appendix Q.
1.3.11 FINAL WASTEWATER FACILITIES PLAN AND FINAL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE TOWN OF
BARNSTABLE; MARCH 2007
The 2007 Wastewater Facilities Plan summarizes the technical evaluations, project decision-
making, and recommended plan to address the wastewater needs in Barnstable that were
identified in 1993. The plan was developed for the 20 year planning period of 1994 through
2014.
One recommendation was to extend sewers to the Wastewater Areas of Concern (AOC) in the
eastern portion of the Town to address the water quality problems in these areas. There was also
a recommendation to upgrade and expand the Barnstable Water Pollution Control Facility, which
was undertaken and has been completed. A copy of the report can be found as Appendix 1-1 of
the Needs Assessment Report in Appendix R.
1.3.12 NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT COMPREHENSIVE
WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANNING (CWMP) PROJECT
TOWN OF BARNSTABLE, MA; MAY 2011
Refer to Section 2.1 for a summary of the Needs Assessment Report. The complete Needs
Assessment Report is included in Appendix R.
1.4 PUBLIC REVIEW AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
As discussed, the plan was created via a public process. The WRAC’s meetings and workshops
were conducted in the Town Hall Hearing room and televised on Barnstable’s government
access channel 18 for the general public to be able to witness what was occurring. Additionally,
Town of Barnstable 1-12 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
those meetings were archived on the Town’s website and available through video on demand
allowing citizens to review them at a later time. The plan, and aspects of the plan, was presented
to Town Council on a number of occasions, particularly August of 2017, and again in January
2019. The Town Manager also included in his Town Manager Communications to the Town
Council monthly updates on the plan documentation during the calendar year 2019 meetings.
These too were televised and archived. The DPW presented the plan to any organizations that
requested such a briefing. As of the writing of this section, that included the Cotuit Village
Association (twice), the Marstons Mills Village Association, the Hyannis Village Association,
Wequaquet Lake Protective Association, and the Barnstable Clean Water Coalition (formerly
known as the Three Bays Preservation). It is expected that public meetings such as these will
continue for as long as the plan is being executed in the Town of Barnstable. The plan has also
been briefed to Town Boards and Committees. To date, this has included the Board of Health
and Comprehensive Financial Advisory Committee, though others are expected to occur during
2019. Finally, in concert with the local government access television station, Barnstable Channel
18, a video presentation is being created that will document the needs and the plan which will be
aired on Channel 18, available on the Town’s Website, and also able to be clipped into short
segments that can be shared via social media to ensure the widest possible decimation of
information regarding the plan. Refer to Section 4.
1.5 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS
The Town will submit this plan to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA)
as an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) with request for a Single
Environmental Impact Report (SEIR). This submittal will initiate the formal review and
comment by local, regional, state and federal agencies, including the Cape Cod Commission’s
review of the CWMP for consistency with the 208 Plan. An EENF is subject to an extended 37-
day review period by MEPA office, consisting of a 30-day public comment period and 7 days to
issue a certificate. Upon receipt of the Secretary Certificate, the Town will respond to any
comments from the various agencies and public comments, finalize the SEIR, and submit the
SEIR to MEPA for final approval. Refer to Section 8 for the Environmental Impact Report.
1.6 ORGANIZATION OF CWMP
The Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan has been prepared to summarize and
document the Town’s recent wastewater planning efforts. These efforts have built on decades of
prior wastewater planning which have been summarized in Section 1.3. The report text, tables
and figures are contained within Volume 1 of this document. All figures are provided at the end
of the section in which they are referred to. The appendices are provided in subsequent volumes.
Town of Barnstable 1-13 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
This Report is divided into 8 Sections:
1. Section 1 introduces the CWMP and summarizes the purpose, project scope, previous
relevant wastewater planning efforts, public review process, environmental review
process, planning period and organization of the report.
2. Section 2 summarizes the Town’s 2011 Needs Assessment report, updates to Needs
Assessment report, and projects already underway or completed since the Needs
Assessment report.
3. Section 3 summarizes the evaluation of technological alternatives.
4. Section 4 summarizes the formulation and development of the Town’s recommended
wastewater plan.
5. Section 5 presents the Town’s recommended wastewater plan on a watershed-by-
watershed basis and contains the statement of consistency with the Cape Cod
Commission’s 208 Plan.
6. Section 6 presents the Town’s proposed implementation plan and schedule.
7. Section 7 summarizes the financial considerations associated with the proposed plan.
8. Section 8 summarizes the environmental impact and benefits of the proposed plan.
Town of Barnstable 1-14 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 1-1: Location of the Town of Barnstable
Town of Barnstable 2-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2 NEEDS ASSESSMENT
This section will identify the wastewater needs of the Town of Barnstable.
2.1 THE 2011 NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT
In 2011 a Needs Assessment Report was completed by GHD to clearly define the wastewater
and nutrient-related needs of the Town. The complete Needs Assessment Report is provided in
Appendix R.
2.2 UPDATES TO THE 2011 NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT
This section provides an overview of pertinent updates since the 2011 Needs Assessment Report.
2.2.1 UPDATE OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
This section provides an overview of the existing environmental conditions within the Town of
Barnstable.
2.2.1.1 SURFACE WATER
Ponds
The Pond and Lake Stewardship (PALS) sampling program was already underway as of the
writing of the 2011 Needs Assessment Report. That program was developed in 2000 and
conducted sampling of 38 ponds in the community. With the WRAC effort, it was identified that
additional ponds should be sampled. A subcommittee was formed that developed the following
criteria to select the additional ponds to be sampled.
This resulted in data for 17 additional ponds. The samples were taken using the PALS
methodology, and measured for the same constituents. Data was calculated by using the Carlson
Trophic State Index (TSI), Shown in Table 2-1.
Specifically, samples were analyzed for total nitrogen, total phosphorous, chlorophyll a, and pH.
Associated water quality data was collected at each site, and include dissolved oxygen, turbidity
(water clarity), temperature, and depth. The results of this additional effort can be found in Table
2-2.
The completed 2017 Pond Study and the 2009 Action Plan for the Ponds are provided in
Appendix S and Appendix SS.
Town of Barnstable 2-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-1: Carlson Trophic State Index
Carlson Trophic State Index (TSI)
TSI Calculations
TSI(SD) = 60-14.41 In(SD) SD = Secchi disk depth (meters)
TSI(CHL) = 9.81 In(CHL) + 30.6 CHL= Chlorophyll a concentration (ug/L)
TSI (TP) = 14.42 In(TP) + 4.15 TP = Total Phosphorus concentration (ug/L)
TSI Values and likely pond attributes
TSI Values Chl a
(ug/L)
SD (m) TP (ug/L) Attributes Fisheries & Recreation
<30
<0.95 >8 <6 Oligotrophy: Clear Water,
oxygen throughout the year in a
hypolimnion
Salmonid fisheries
dominate
30-40
0.95-2.6
8-4 6-12 Hypolimnia of shallower lakes
may become anoxic
Salmonid fisheries in deep
lakes only
40-50
2.6-7.3 4-2 12-24 Mesotrophy- Water moderately
clear; increasing probability of
hypolimnetic anoxia during
summer
Hypolimnetic anoxia
results in loss of salmonids
50-60 7.3-20 2-1 24-48 Eutrophy: Anoxic hypolimnia
macrophyte problems possible
Warm-water fisheries only.
Bass may dominate
60-70 20-56 0.5-1 48-96 Blue-green algae dominate,
algal scums and macrophyte
problems
Nuisance macrophytes,
algal scums, and low
transparency may
discourage swimming and
boating
70-80 56-155 0.25-
0.5
96-192 Hyprteautrophy: (light limited
productivity). Dense algae and
macrophytes
>80 >155 <0.25 192-384 Algal scums, few macrophytes Rough fish dominate;
summer fish kills possible
Town of Barnstable 2-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-2: 2017 Supplemental Ponds Water Quality Assessment
Ultra-Shallow Shallow 2.1 to 8.6m Deep
Oligotrophic
Campground Pond
Mesotrophic
Flowing Pond
Israels Pond
Coleman Pond
Patty’s Pond
Eutrophic
Mill Pond
Lamson Pond
Fawcett’s Pond
Mill (Filenes) Pond
Weathervane Pond
Ben’s Pond
Fresh Hole Pond
Flax Pond
Simmons Pond
Flintrock Pond
Sam’s Pond
North Pond
Hypereutrophic
Coastal Embayments
The 2011 Needs Assessment Report discussed in detail why TMDLs are established for waters
that are unable to meet state-established water quality standards, and that Barnstable had a
number of embayments that required TMDLs for nitrogen. At that time, the Town had received
the following reports (all of which are contained in the appendices) concerning these
embayments:
MEP Technical Report for Popponesset Bay; MEP, September 2004.
MassDEP TMDL Report for Popponesset Bay; MassDEP, April 10, 2006.
MEP Technical Report for Rushy Marsh; MEP, April 2006 (No TMDL Report expected).
MEP Technical Report for Three Bays System; MEP, April 2006.
MassDEP TMDL Report for Three Bays System; MassDEP, September 7, 2007.
MEP Technical Report for Centerville River System; MEP, November 2006.
MassDEP TMDL Report for Centerville River System; MassDEP, January 29, 2008.
MEP Technical Report for Lewis Bay (and Halls Creek); MEP, December 2008.
However, at that time, the Town was still expecting TMDL for Lewis Bay (and Halls Creek),
and the Technical and TMDL Reports for Barnstable Harbor. Since then, the following has been
released:
MassDEP TMDL Report for Lewis Bay System and Halls Creek, March 2015 (Appendix
BB)
Town of Barnstable 2-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
MEP Draft Technical Report for Barnstable Harbor, June 2017 (Appendix CC)
The Town is still waiting on a final TMDL for Barnstable Harbor.
A summary of the projected threshold concentration of nitrogen that needs to be obtained in each
watershed is included in Table 2-3.
Since the writing of the 2011 Needs Assessment, the Cape Cod Commission completed its
update to the 1978 Water Quality Management Plan for Cape Cod, known as the “208 Plan”
(found in Appendix A) in June 2015. The 1978 Plan had described the major water quality and
wastewater management problems confronting the region at that time; and recommended land
use controls, wastewater management, nonpoint source controls and institutional arrangements to
improve water quality. The updated plan, in its own words, “recommends actions to streamline
the regulatory process, make complex information more transparent and available to citizens,
abate nitrogen-induced costs already impacting the region, provide more support to local
community water quality efforts, and eliminate unnecessary costs” (Cape Cod Area Wide Water
Quality Management Plan, June 2015, pg. S-xviii). Importantly Chapter 4 of the 208 Plan is a
thorough look at technologies, both traditional and nontraditional, available to address
wastewater issues. The Town used the Report to identify nitrogen removal requirements from
each community that share watersheds. It also heavily utilized the 208 Plan’s Chapter 4 when
assessing technologies to address wastewater needs. This CWMP will leverage that chapter for
its Section 3, Evaluation of Technology Alternatives, versus creating one from scratch.
Town of Barnstable 2-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-3: TN Concentrations in Watersheds
Watershed Sub-embayment
Observed TN
Concentration
(mg/l)1
Threshold TN
Concentration
(mg/l)
Barnstable Harbor Barnstable Harbor 0.072-0.1118 0.168
Barnstable Harbor Millway 0.218
Barnstable Harbor
Barnstable Harbor Sentinel
Station2 TBD
Centerville River Centerville River East 0.43-0.75
Centerville River Centerville River West 0.43-0.75
Centerville River East Bay 0.41
Centerville River Scudder Bay 0.62
Centerville River Centerville River Sentinel Station3 0.37
Lewis Bay Halls Creek 0.45
Lewis Bay Hyannis Inner Harbor 0.43 – 0.60
Lewis Bay Lewis Bay 0.41
Lewis Bay Mill Creek 0.52-0.56
Lewis Bay Snows Creek 1.57
Lewis Bay Stewart’s Creek 1.25
Lewis Bay Lewis Bay Sentinel Station4 0.38
Popponesset Bay Pinquickset Cove 0.527
Popponesset Bay Popponesset Bay 0.485-0.422
Popponesset Bay Shoestring Bay 0.690-0.520
Popponesset Bay Popponesset Bay Sentinel Station5 0.38
Three Bays Cotuit Bay 0.39-0.44
Three Bays North Bay 0.38-0.48
Three Bays Princes Cove 0.32
Three Bays Princes Cove Channel 0.50-0.52
Three Bays Seapuit River 0.60-0.70
Three Bays Warren’s Cove 0.64
Three Bays West Bay 0.64
Three Bays Three Bay Sentinel Station6 0.38
Rushy Marsh Rushy Marsh Sentinel Station7 1.107 TBD
Notes:
1. Barnstable Harbor Based on Draft MEP report
Centerville River Based on 2001-2005 data.
Lewis Bay Based on 2001-2006 data
Town of Barnstable 2-6 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Popponesset Bay Based on 1997-2003 data
Three Bays Based on 1999-2004 data
Rushy Marsh Based on MEP Report
2. TMDL not yet available
3. Located seaward of the mouth of the Bumps River. Additional threshold value of 0.50 mg/l
applies to station BC-7 and station BC-3 for the protection of benthic habitat.
4. Located at the eastern end of Lewis Bay. Halls Creek had its own target threshold of 1.0 mg/l
5. Located at the mouth of Shoestring Bay
6. Located between Cotuit Bay and North Bay
7. TMDL not yet available
8. Bio active nitrogen concentrations
9. See Figure 2-11for sentinel station locations
Town of Barnstable 2-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-4: Nitrogen Removal Targets by Watershed (Source: Cape Cod Commission, 2016)
Watershed
Total
attenuated
controllable
watershed N
nitrogen load
(kg/day)
Total
attenuated
controllable N
load (from
Barnstable)
(kg/day)
Target
(kg/day)
Total N load
reduction
targets
(kg/day)
N Load
reduction
targets (by
Barnstable)
(kg/day)
Centerville River Watershed
Centerville River East 52.7 52.7 24.7 28.0 28.0
Centerville River West 8.2 8.2 9.5 0.0 0.0
East Bay 7.8 7.8 8.6 0.0 0.0
Scudder Bay 44.5 44.5 52.6 0.0 0.0
Halls Creek Watershed
Halls Creek 20.0 20.0 36.3 0.0 0.0
Lewis Bay Watershed
Hyannis Inner Harbor 18.9 15.7 7.4 11.5 11.2
Lewis Bay 39.8 9.9 9.7 30.2 7.5
Mill Creek 32.7 5.7 22.3 10.3 1.8
Snows Creek 9.7 9.7 16.2 0.0 0.0
Stewarts Creek 51.3 51.3 41.6 0.0 0.0
Popponesset Bay Watershed
Pinquickset Cove 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.2 0.2
Popponesset Bay 1.7 0.6 1.8 0.0 0.0
Shoestring Bay 35.5 11.3 19.7 15.8 5.0
Three Bays Watershed
Cotuit Bay 22.1 21.0 22.3 0.0 0.0
North Bay 25.0 24.8 4.5 20.6 20.4
Princes Cove 11.7 10.8 2.2 9.5 8.8
Princes Cove Channel 5.7 5.7 0.8 5.0 5.0
Seapuit River 2.7 2.7 3.8 0.0 0.0
Warrens Cove 29.3 23.7 20.8 8.5 6.9
West Bay 15.0 15.0 16.0 0.0 0.0
Rushy Marsh Watershed
Rushy Marsh Pond 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Barnstable Harbor* 100.2 82.1 75.1* 25.0* 20.5*
* Draft Barnstable Harbor MEP was not developed at the time of development of this table. This assumed a 25%
reduction target as a placeholder. As discussed in Section 5, removal requirements per MEP are less.
Town of Barnstable 2-8 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.2.1.2 STORMWATER
The Town has been implementing stormwater management solutions to help address nutrients,
bacteria, and/or sediments impacting town waterways. Since the 2011 Needs Assessment Report,
the Town, working with other organizations, has conducted the following projects, see Table 2-5.
Table 2-5: Special Stormwater Drainage Systems
Site Location Village Date
Installed Unit Type
Projected
Removal
Rates
Watershed
Cotuit Library Cotuit 2020
(Projected)
Rain garden with
sediment forebay and
educational section
Three Bays
South County Road Osterville 2020
(Projected)
Planted swales with
sediment forebay
55% Nitrogen
70% Bacteria Three Bays
Putnam Ave. at
Little River crossing Cotuit 2020
(Projected)
Bioretention with
sediment forebay
55% Nitrogen
70% Bacteria Three Bays
Cordwood Landing
Phase 2 Cotuit 2020
(Projected)
Bioretention with
sediment forebay
55% Nitrogen
70% Bacteria Three Bays
Old Shore Road at
Ropes Beach Phase 2 Cotuit 2019 Bioretention with
sediment forebay
55% Nitrogen
70% Bacteria Three Bays
Town Parking Lot
Boat Ramp Prince
Ave.
Marstons
Mills 2019
Sand filter with rain
garden and sediment
forebay
55% Nitrogen
70% Bacteria
Three Bays
Cordwood Landing
Phase 1 Cotuit
2009,
upgraded
2019
Bioretention with
sediment forebay
55% Nitrogen
70% Bacteria Three Bays
Putnam Ave. at Old
Shore Road/Ropes
Beach & Boat Ramp
Cotuit
1999,
upgraded
2019
Vortecnics/Wetland
Pockets
55% Nitrogen
70% Bacteria Three Bays
Osterville Library Osterville 2018 Rain garden &
educational section Three Bays
Oyster Place
Road/Town Dock Cotuit 2017 Rain garden Three Bays
Gateway Park Hyannis 2015 Gravel wetland 47% Nitrogen Lewis Bay
Bay Street/ Boat
Ramp Osterville 2015 PERC CRETE
Settling/Infiltrators Three Bays
Within the 208 Plan Update, the Three Bays area was identified as a watershed where
stormwater has a significant impact, with approximately 23% of controllable nitrogen coming
from stormwater runoff. The Town partnered with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the
Barnstable Clean Water Coalition, the Horsley Witten Group and the Barnstable Land Trust on a
Town of Barnstable 2-9 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
five-year $1.2 million project for improving water quality through stormwater management. The
project utilizes green infrastructure stormwater systems, which incorporate plants and soil media
to remove nitrogen, bacteria, and other pollutants before the stormwater passes into the bays.
This approach accounts for Best Management Practices (BMP) vulnerabilities and incorporates
projected impacts of climate change when considering siting, selection, and materials of
practices. Design plans consider options for redundancy and flexibility to adapt to these impacts
and emphasize the use of green infrastructure and low impact design. To ensure long-term
effectiveness of the installed systems, O&M plans and training for town staff is provided and a
permanent training video to support training of new staff in the future.
The overall nitrogen removal rate of green infrastructure, with normal maintenance, should be on
the order of 55% for system(s) placed in service or upgraded after 2017 in the Three Bays
watershed.
2.2.1.3 SOILS
Soil data remains unchanged. Refer to Section 5-8 of the 2011 Needs Assessment.
2.2.1.4 DEPTH TO GROUNDWATER
The groundwater in Barnstable provides drinking water supplies and recharges the ponds,
wetlands, and coastal estuaries. All groundwater in Barnstable is supplied by the Sagamore Lens
which is shared by the towns of Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Yarmouth; the
groundwater resources on Cape Cod as a whole are classified as a sole-source aquifer by
USEPA. Groundwater contours in the Town of Barnstable are shown in Figure 2-2.
2.2.1.5 FLOOD ZONES AND VELOCITY AREAS
The FEMA flood zone maps were updated in July of 2014. The updated mapping added a
substantial number of new properties to the various flood hazard zones. Figure 2-8 shows the
updated FEMA flood zones.
2.2.1.6 GROUNDWATER AND DRINKING WATER PROTECTION AREAS
The Town draws its public water from the Sagamore Lens. Current discharges from individual
septic systems and from wastewater treatment facilities have the potential to impact this drinking
water supply. MassDEP has established regulations that must be met to protect this resource.
Nitrogen discharges from septic systems previously were the main concern to the water supply,
now concerns have been raised about a new category of water contaminant called Contaminants
of Emerging Concern (CECs). This general category includes three subgroups – endocrine
disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. These compounds and
potential contaminants are not currently regulated by the federal government because their
toxicity is not well understood.
Town of Barnstable 2-10 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Protection zones are put in place to protect the recharge area from contaminants around public
water supply groundwater sources. DEP divides the wellhead protection recharge area into two
zones called Zones I and II.
A Zone I is the protective 400 foot radius required around public water supply wells or well-
fields that yield 100,000 gpd or greater. For wells of less than 100,000 gpd or greater than 10,000
gpd a 250-foot protective radius is used.
A Zone II is the area of the aquifer that contributes water to a well under the most severe
pumping and recharge conditions that can be realistically anticipated. This is traditionally
modeled as 180 days of pumping at approved yield, with no recharge from precipitation. The
Zone II must include the entire Zone I area. The existing state designated wellhead protection
areas (Zone I and Zone II) are shown in Figure 2-13.
2.2.1.7 GROUNDWATER PROTECTION OVERLAY DISTRICTS
The Town’s zoning has established three Groundwater Protection Overlay Districts to protect the
public health, safety, and welfare by encouraging nonhazardous compatible land uses within
groundwater recharge areas. The three overlay districts are shown in Figure 2-14. The overlay
districts are defined as follows:
The Groundwater Protection Overlay District (GP) is based on Zone II delineations to
existing, proven future and proposed public water supply wells.
The Well Protection Overlay District (WP) is based on a five-year time of travel zone to
existing, proven future and potential future public supply wells.
The Aquifer Protection Overlay District (AP) consists of all other areas of Town, except
those located in the aforementioned GP or WP Overlay Districts.
The GP and WP districts restrict certain uses which could cause groundwater contamination,
limit impervious coverage, site clearing, and sewage disposal. Refer to Appendix DD for the
portion of the Zoning Code that establishes the Overlay District (Section 240-35 of the Town
Code).
2.2.1.8 INTERIM SALTWATER ESTUARY REGULATION
In response to establishment of nitrogen TMDLs in a number of the Town’s embayments, in
March 2008 the Board of Health established an interim regulation (Section 360-45 of the Town
Code) focused on limiting septic load within these watersheds. Septic loads within the
watersheds of Popponesset Bay, Three Bays, and Centerville River are restricted by this
regulation as follows:
“The maximum allowable discharge of sanitary sewage, based on the sewage design flow
criteria listed in 310 CMR 15.203, Title 5, of the State Environmental Code, shall not exceed 440
gallons per 40,000 square feet of lot area, with the following exceptions:
Town of Barnstable 2-11 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
(a) For approved building lots on which no building currently exists and that are less than
30,000 square feet in area, the maximum allowable sewage discharge shall be 330 gallons.
(b) For parcels with existing buildings, the maximum allowable flow shall be either 440 gallons
per 40,000 square feet, except as described in Subsection B(1)(a) above or whatever is currently
permitted, whichever is greater.”
Refer to Appendix EE for the portion of the Town Code that establishes the Regulation.
2.2.1.9 SENSITIVE HABITATS
There are several regions within the Town of Barnstable that have been identified as combined
habitats of rare species and wildlife by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries, Natural Heritage
and Endangered Species Program (NHESP). These are shown in Figure 2-9 and were updated in
August 2017. NHESP has also identified vernal pools and potential vernal pools in the Town of
Barnstable which were updated in December of 2018 and are shown in Figure 2-10.
2.2.2 UPDATES TO EXISTING WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
This section provides an overview of the existing wastewater infrastructure in the Town of
Barnstable.
2.2.2.1 BARNSTABLE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY (BWPCF)
The Barnstable Water Pollution Control Facility is comprised of septage handling, pretreatment,
primary treatment, secondary treatment, and disinfection facilities. Treated effluent is disposed
of on-site via rapid sand infiltration beds. The facility currently treats an average daily flow of
1.67 MGD, and has a maximum-month average daily flow of 1.97 MGD. The facility processes
between 10 and 12 million gallons of septic and grease waste each year. The following sections
outline the improvements that have been made to the BWPCF and sewer collection system since
the completion of the 2011 Needs Assessment Report.
2.2.2.1.1 Underground Storage Tank Removal
A contract was completed in 2011 to remove two underground chemical storage tanks and
replace them with pad mounted above-ground storage tanks. The existing 4,000 gallon
fiberglass underground diesel storage tank feeding the emergency standby generator was
removed and replaced with a 3,000 gallon double-walled steel storage tank and a new fuel
delivery system. The existing 8,000 fiberglass underground sodium hypochlorite storage tank
was removed and replaced with a new 6,650 gallon double-walled polyethylene storage tank
with a new chemical delivery system.
Town of Barnstable 2-12 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.2.2.1.2 Renewable Energy Facilities Construction
A construction contract was completed in 2012 for the installation of two 100 kW wind turbines
and an 819 kW solar array. The $5,800,000 project cost was 100% grant funded through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The power produced from these facilities is
fed into the electrical grid and the BWPCF is credited for the energy produced. This project,
coupled with other energy efficiency improvements at the facility, has resulted in a nearly 75%
reduction in net electrical usage at the WPCF.
2.2.2.1.3 Effluent Disposal Modeling
The BWPFC has continued to discharge 100% of its effluent on site. While several alternative
disposal sites were located, the Town elected not to pursue those options for a variety of reasons,
most notably due to their proximity to drinking water wells. The ultimate effluent disposal
capacity of the rapid infiltration beds at the BWPCF remains uncertain. This is due to many site
specific considerations that are independent of the BWPCF recharge such as seasonal and multi-
year variations in the elevation of the groundwater table. In order to better understand the
dynamics of the groundwater table in the area downgradient of the rapid infiltration beds, in
2014 the Town contracted the services of Watershed Hydrogeologic through its consultant GHD
to develop a localized groundwater model for the area surrounding the BWPCF. The model,
referred to as the Barnstable Groundwater Model (BGM), was utilized to delineate the fate and
transport of the BWPCF effluent recharge.
Follow-up groundwater simulations were conducted in 2017 in order to provide the Town with a
planning level analysis of the effects of various effluent discharge scenarios. While the inputs
and assumptions used during these simulations were conservative, the analysis determined that
the permitted discharge volume of 4.2 MGD for the BWPCF could potentially create
groundwater mounding issues in the vicinity of the BWPCF rapid infiltration beds, and that a
more detailed analysis should be carried out. As a result, the Town and Massachusetts DEP
determined that the disposal capacity of the BWPCF should be lowered to 2.7 MGD with the
issuance of the 2018 groundwater discharge permit, but that follow up studies would be
necessary to determine the actual disposal capacity for the facility. In early 2019, a consultant
was hired to precisely and definitively quantify the effluent discharge capacity of the BWPCF.
2.2.2.1.4 Solids Handling Evaluation
In 2015, the Town initiated a solids handling evaluation and design in order to address the
condition and capacity of the BWPCF solids handling facilities and to evaluate future sludge
dewatering and disposal practices. The evaluation was put on hold until 2018 while wastewater
planning efforts were completed. This allowed the consultant to gather design data for the
volume of septic waste expected to be received and the amount of sludge expected to be
Town of Barnstable 2-13 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
produced at the BWPCF over the next 20 years. The design of these improvements is expected
to be completed by the fall of 2020. It is expected that improvements will be constructed to the
septage receiving station, grit removal system, sludge pumping equipment and pipework, odor
control system, chemical delivery systems, and sludge thickening equipment.
2.2.2.1.5 Biowin Modeling
In 2017, in conjunction with the solids handling evaluation, the Town began the development of
a Biowin computerized simulation model for the BWPCF. The model was used to establish
future sludge production totals for the design of the BWPCF solids handling upgrades. The
model can also act as a predictive tool to analyze the impact of varying flows and loads on the
wastewater treatment process. While the data generated from the Biowin model will be used as a
predictive tool for process control and assessing scenarios, it is not intended to be used as the
basis for design or permitting.
2.2.2.1.6 Clarifier Rehabilitation
A construction contract completed in 2018 rehabilitated the BWPCF’s two primary and three
secondary clarifiers. The existing Primary Clarifiers Nos. 1 and 2 and Secondary Clarifiers Nos.
1 and 2 were built in 1980 and improvements were needed in order to address the condition of
the process equipment and to improve the sludge removal efficiency of the clarifiers. Process
equipment within Primary Clarifiers Nos. 1 and 2 and Secondary Clarifiers Nos. 1 and 2 was
demolished and retrofitted with new spiral blade rake arms, baffles, algae sweeps, clarifier
drives, catwalks, and sludge withdrawal mechanisms. Secondary Clarifier No. 3, constructed in
1996, was rehabilitated by sandblasting and recoating steel process equipment and installing a
new clarifier drive. The concrete tank walls on all clarifiers were spot repaired and epoxy
coated. Four 20-inch valves were replaced within the primary clarifier distribution box, and
seven clarifier isolation valves were replaced within the Secondary pump room.
2.2.2.1.7 Standby Generator Installation
A construction contract completed in 2019 replaced the existing standby generator with a new
750kW pad-mounted diesel generator with a sound attenuated enclosure. The automatic transfer
switch, main switchgear MSA, motor control center MCC-6, and all associated wiring was
replaced as part of this project. The existing turbine generator, exhaust stack, main switchgear
MSA, and motor control center MCC-6 were demolished and the electrical room ceiling and
walls were repaired and repainted. While the new generator provides standby power for the
entire wastewater treatment facility, future plans call for a second 450 kW generator to be
installed at main switchgear MSB when future loads dictate. The 450 kW generator will provide
additional redundancy to the BWPCF’s existing standby power system.
Town of Barnstable 2-14 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.2.2.1.8 Effluent Flow Meter Installation
As required by the 2018 permit update for the BWPCF, an effluent flow meter is to be designed
prior to December 31, 2019 and installed at the facility prior to December 31, 2020. This project
is discussed further in the permit update section.
2.2.2.2 EXISTING COLLECTION SYSTEM STUDIES
The sewer collection system in the Town of Barnstable dates back to 1937 and consists of
approximately 55 miles of gravity sewer, low pressure sewer, vacuum sewer, and force main.
The Town owns, operates, and maintains a total of 27 pump stations. These range in size from
very small stations serving private developments to larger stations which serve downtown areas
while accepting flow from one or more smaller stations. The H-1 sewer expansion and Lincoln
Road Pump Station construction projects outlined in the 2011 Needs Assessment report have
been completed. The Town has assumed responsibility for the Hyannis Youth and Community
Center pump station and the Settlers Landing private development pump station.
2.2.2.2.1 SewerCAD Modeling
In 2016, a contract was completed to expand the existing SewerCAD model for downtown
Hyannis to incorporate the Town’s entire collection system. The SewerCAD model, which is
operated in-house by DPW engineers, is the most efficient way to evaluate capacity limitations
as sewer extensions, new connections, or increases in flow are proposed. The updated model was
loaded with existing water use data and a report was submitted outlining potential bottlenecks
within the sewer system or capacity issues with pump stations under both existing and future
flows. Several areas were identified as having capacity issues, and projects to address those
deficiencies are discussed in detail in the localized collection system projects section of this
report. See Appendix FF.
2.2.2.2.2 Infiltration and Inflow (I/I) Analysis
In 2017, as part of the Town’s Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance (CMOM)
efforts, a study was completed analyzing the amount of infiltration and inflow entering the
Town’s sewer system. Infiltration is the leakage of groundwater into the sewer through cracks
and openings in sewer pipes and/or manholes. Inflow is the flow of surface water into the sewer
through storm drains, roof leaders, and/or sump pumps in basements of buildings. Removal of
infiltration and inflow from the Town’s sewer system will free up pipe capacity and disposal
capacity at the BWPCF. Sewer system authorities were required to submit an infiltration and
inflow analysis to the DEP by December 31, 2017.
Town of Barnstable 2-15 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
The 2017 study concluded that up to 0.44 MGD of infiltration could be entering the sewer
system during high groundwater conditions. A 1988 infiltration and inflow study by Whitman
and Howard estimated as much as 0.55 MGD was entering the sewer system. The study also
found that there could be as much as 1.02 MGD of inflow entering the Town’s collection system
during a standard five-year twenty-four hour storm event. This conclusion represents a large
increase of inflow over the 1988 study which found that inflow was negligible.
Based on the findings of this study, the Town has elected to follow up with Sewer System
Evaluation Survey (SSES) work in order to locate the exact sources of infiltration and inflow
noted in the 2017 Infiltration and Inflow Analysis. Sewers in the area of Enterprise Road and
Route 132 will be evaluated for potential sources of infiltration and inflow while 8 other
subsections of sewer will be evaluated for sources of inflow.
2.2.2.2.3 Pump Station Evaluation
In 2018, the Town hired a consultant to conduct evaluations for all of the 27 sewage pump
stations it owns and maintains. The purpose of this project was to evaluate each of the pump
stations with respect to the structural, architectural, electrical, mechanical, and process
components and to make recommendations for improvements. Special consideration was given
to coastal resiliency with shoreline pump stations. The consultant provided a twenty year capital
improvement plan for improvements deemed necessary by this evaluation.
2.2.2.3 EXISTING COLLECTION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
2.2.2.3.1 South Street Sewer Improvements
A consultant was hired in 2018 to complete an evaluation and design of sewer improvements in
South Street in Hyannis. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the condition and capacity
of the sewers in South Street in order to support future buildout flows. The evaluation noted
areas of capacity restrictions with both current and future flow scenarios. The consultant has
recommended breaking this project into three construction phases. The first recommended phase
is to replace the existing 12- and 15-inch clay sewers between High School Road and Old
Colony Pump Station with a new 18-inch PVC sewer in order to address the capacity constraints
that currently exist. Phase 2, would replace the existing 12- and 15-inch clay sewers between
Old Colony Road and Lewis Bay Road with a new 18-inch PVC sewer line. By phasing this
portion of the project, the Town has the benefit of waiting to see if future flows proposed in this
area materialize, or if the sewers can simply be relined. Phase 3 of the project would replace the
existing 10-inch clay sewers between Sea Street and High School Road if future buildout
requires increased capacity in this area.
Town of Barnstable 2-16 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.2.2.3.2 Barnstable Road Evaluation
A consultant was hired in 2018 to complete an evaluation of the sewers in Barnstable Road in
Hyannis. The purpose of this evaluation is to identify any conditional defects or capacity
constraints within the Barnstable Road sewers so that these repairs can be made in conjunction
with the Hyannis Water System’s pipe rehabilitation program. This will allow the Town to save
money on construction costs while minimizing disruption to residents and area businesses.
2.2.2.3.3 Pleasant Street Sewer Relining
In order to address capacity constraints identified in the 2016 SewerCAD report, in 2019 the
Town hired a contractor to re-line the sewers on Pleasant Street in Hyannis. This project
increased the capacity of the sewers by approximately 10% by reducing friction of the pipe and
will improve the condition of the 1935 clay sewers within Pleasant Street. In addition to this
project, the Town is in the preliminary planning phase for the construction of a new sewer
running between Main Street and South Street on Old Colony Road, which will shed flow off of
Pleasant Street and alleviate any remaining capacity constraints in the area.
2.2.3 UPDATES TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY
GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE PERMITS
2.2.3.1 BARNSTABLE WPCF
The Barnstable Water Pollution Control Facility was issued an updated Groundwater Discharge
Permit (GPD) in November 2018. The permit expires in November 2023. The updated discharge
permit limits the Town of Barnstable to 2.7 MGD maximum daily flow and requires the Town to
submit an engineering report demonstrating adequate discharge capacity prior to accepting any
flows in excess of 2.7 MGD. Table 2-6 summarizes the effluent limitations outlined in the 2018
discharge permit.
In addition to the discharge limitations, there are several new supplemental conditions required
in the updated Groundwater Discharge Permit. The Town is required to submit a
Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) or equivalent to the Department for
review and approval by December 31, 2021. By December 31, 2019, the Town must submit an
engineering report and plans for DEP review for the installation of an effluent flow meter and
have the meter installed by December 31, 2020. As part of the permit renewal in 2023, the Town
must submit an engineering report outlining what modifications, if any, are required to insure
that the facility can remain in compliance through the next 5-year permit term (year 2028) and
beyond. See Appendix GG.
Town of Barnstable 2-17 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-6: BWPCF Effluent Discharge Limitations
Effluent Characteristics Current Discharge
Limitations
Expanded Discharge
Limitations
Flow 2.7 MGD (maximum) 4.2 MGD (maximum)
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 30 mg/L 30 mg/L
Total Suspended Solids 30 mg/L 30 mg/L
Total Dissolved Solids 1000 mg/L 1000 mg/L
Nitrate Nitrogen 10 mg/L 10 mg/L
Total Nitrogen 10 mg/L and not to exceed
49,315 pounds per calendar year* 10 mg/L
Oil and Grease 15 mg/L 15 mg/L
Fecal Coliform 200 colonies/100 ml 200 colonies/100 ml
Total Chlorine 1 mg/L 1 mg/L
*49,315 pounds per year represents the mass load at a maximum daily flow of 2.7 MGD and
an annual average Total Nitrogen concentration of 6 mg/L.
2.2.3.2 Marstons Mills Wastewater Treatment Plant (MMWWTP)
In February of 2019 the Marstons Mills Wastewater Treatment Plant (MMWWTP) was issued an
updated Groundwater Discharge Permit. The permit expires in February 2024, see Appendix
HH. Table 2-7 summarizes the effluent limitations outlined in the discharge permit.
Table 2-7: MMWWTP Effluent Discharge Limitations
Effluent Characteristics Discharge Limitations
Flow 42,900 GPD
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 30 mg/L
Total Suspended Solids 10 mg/L
Nitrate- Nitrogen 10 mg/L
Total Nitrogen 10 mg/L
Oil and Grease 15 mg/L
Fecal Coliform 200 colonies/100ml
Turbidity 5 NTU
Note: As part of the permit renewal in 2023, the Town must submit an
engineering report outlining what modifications are required to insure
that the facility can remain in compliance through the next 5 year
permit term (year 2028) and beyond.
Town of Barnstable 2-18 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.2.4 EXISTING WASTEWATER GENERATION
The GIS-based tool compiles all water data and nitrogen removal requirements by watershed into
one centralized location. The tool compiles water data from 2010 to 2016 and calculates the
average daily water usage of each parcel in the Town. The tool then calculates wastewater
generation of each lot as 90% of the calculated water usage. Nitrogen is calculated assuming a
typical Title 5 septic system concentration of 26.25 mg/L. A summary of the water use,
wastewater generation, and associated nitrogen generation by watershed is provided in Table 2-8.
Table 2-8: Existing Wastewater Generation by Watershed
Watershed Water Use
(gpd)
Wastewater
Generation
(gpd)
Nitrogen
Generation
(kg/day)
Lewis Bay 1,698,200 1,528,380 42.6
Halls Creek 280,910 252,810 14.4
Centerville River 1,529,540 1,376,590 132.3
Three Bays 1,361,000 1,224,900 121.4
Rushy Marsh 4,200 3,780 0.4
Popponesset Bay 181,720 163,550 16.2
Barnstable Harbor 879,200 791,280 65.5
Undefined 282,020 253,820 25.2
Total 6,216,790 5,595,110 418.0
2.2.5 UPDATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS
Aligning housing and economic development objectives with infrastructure planning is critical to
the Town’s economic future and environmental health, as well as the long-term fiscal stability of
the municipality. The availability of infrastructure, specifically municipal wastewater, is a
fundamental factor in business and housing development decisions. Available connections to
municipal wastewater treatment allow for development at higher densities, therefore bringing
down development costs and allowing for the most productive use of land.
Encouraging the development and redevelopment of land in areas appropriately supported by
multi-modal transportation infrastructure, away from sensitive environmental or historic resource
areas, and in proximity to community activity centers will support the growth of this community,
while supporting community character and fiscal sustainability. The availability of sewer
infrastructure in areas designated for growth is critical to their economic success.
Town of Barnstable 2-19 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.2.5.1 ECONOMIC/HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY AREAS
Attucks/Independence: This area is zoned for commercial and industrial development and
is well served by transportation infrastructure. The area contains a number of existing
businesses and housing developments, and possesses the strong potential for future
growth. Limited sewer expansion in this area has been funded by private developers in
connection with new development projects and with the 2017 MassWorks Infrastructure
Grant.
Yarmouth Road Triangle: This built-out area contains many existing small businesses
and several large auto dealerships. The immediate area contains limited development
potential, but potential future connections to the Barnstable Municipal Airport property
could result in economic growth in connection with aviation purposes. The area also
hosts several drinking water wells belonging to the Hyannis Water Division. Connecting
the businesses in the area to municipal wastewater treatment would allow potential future
economic expansion, as well as have long-term water quality benefits.
The un-sewered portions of Route 28 corridor from Centerville to Marstons Mills include
the auto-oriented commercial center in Centerville, as well as a number of commercial
and multi-family residential uses outside of designated commercial zoning districts. The
potential to intensify existing economic centers or infill/redevelop property along the
corridor would be created with the addition of sewer infrastructure.
There are a number of specific areas where the existing zoning does not reflect future
development potential if there was expanded infrastructure availability. On account of
current infrastructure constraints, as well as other factors, these areas are not designated
economic or growth centers; however, with availability of wastewater infrastructure,
these areas could support additional development. Such decisions would require
regulatory changes, and thus appropriate community support. Further, policy decisions
about infrastructure cost-sharing between the Town and potential developers where
necessary may also have an influence.
The areas are presented here for the purposes of identifying where this capacity for
economic and housing growth could occur in the future.
o Undeveloped parcels around the Route 132 & Attucks Lane intersection
o Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority’s Hyannis Transportation Center
o Hyannis Resort & Conference Center and Golf Course
o Bell Tower Mall, Centerville
o Town of Barnstable, West Villages Elementary School and Barnstable United
Elementary School
2.2.5.2 GROWTH INCENTIVE ZONE
The Growth Incentive Zone is an area encompassing downtown Hyannis Main Street, Hyannis
Harbor, and commercial areas south of the Airport Rotary is designated as an area to support
Town of Barnstable 2-20 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
additional economic and housing growth and development. This designation was based on the
availability of public wastewater infrastructure, along with historic and existing development
patterns that could accept compact, walkable development. The area is the focus of planning
efforts and development incentives to encourage new investment. The Growth Incentive Zone is
currently zoned to encourage multi-family development and is the focus of regulatory efforts to
further increase development potential.
Buildout of sewer infrastructure in Downtown Hyannis began in 1935. The system has been
maintained and expanded over time; there are very few developed parcels within the Growth
Incentive Zone that are not connected to public sewer. Planned infill development and
redevelopment will rely on continued investment in improvement of the system. Further, policy
decisions about infrastructure cost-sharing, where necessary and appropriate, may impact
development.
Analysis of wastewater capacity completed at the time of the 2017 Growth Incentive Zone
renewal supported that, overall, the existing infrastructure adequately supports existing
development. The analysis highlighted the potential for deficiencies in the capacity of the South
Street sewer main, which conveys flows from the majority of Hyannis to the South Street pump
station. The sewers on South Street were installed in 1935 in three-foot sections of clay pipe and
have recently shown signs of deterioration. Recent modeling efforts indicated that South Street
sewers between High School Road and Old Colony Road are at full capacity under peak flow
conditions, and will be over capacity under future conditions. The sewers between Old Colony
Road and School Street are approaching capacity and will be over capacity under future
conditions.
The Town has completed an evaluation of improvements necessary to upgrade the South Street
Main and this project is in the design phase. In Fiscal Year 2020, a $4,019,000 CIP was
approved under the Water Pollution Control Enterprise Fund for construction of the necessary
improvements. Increasing sewer capacity on South Street will accommodate future growth and
development for parcels feeding into South Street sewers.
Two other projects in the Growth Incentive Zone are also complete. One is a cleaning and lining
of the sewers on Pleasant Street and surrounding areas to support additional capacity. This
project was factored into the planning for the South Street sewer upgrades and funded by a
Housing Choice Grant from the Commonwealth. An evaluation of the capacity of sewers on
Barnstable Road is also currently underway.
Town of Barnstable 2-21 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.2.6 FUTURE CONDITIONS
To fully understand the wastewater needs of the community, both existing flows and future flows
must be considered. Existing flows are easier to quantify as they can be directly measured or
calculated. Future flows are more difficult because it requires projections about what may yet
occur in Town. Flows will increase as vacant lots are developed, existing lots are redeveloped,
or commercial usages change. To help make these projections it is traditional to consider various
predictions of “ultimate buildout”, which is the maximum amount of growth that can occur given
existing zoning, and then modify this to what is realistic, and from there to what could actually
occur during the planning horizon of the project. To that end this document considers three
forms of buildout as defined below:
Ultimate Buildout – This is the maximum potential growth given existing zoning
regardless of other conditions. This helps define the upper limit of flow that could ever
occur, but is frankly not realistic.
Realistic Buildout – This considers the ultimate buildout, but then also considers what
realistically could occur. Factors that inform this are the history of growth, predicted
economic cycles during the period, and an understanding of the community.
Realistic Buildout within the planning period – This is the value that is most useful. It
looks at realistic buildout and projects the extent of it that will occur either during the
planning period for the project, or more importantly the design life of the infrastructure
that is being installed.
2.2.6.1 POPULATION PROJECTIONS
2.2.6.1.1 Trends
The region experienced decades of growth through the 20th century, but the population saw a
slight decline between 2000 and 2010. Population decline in Barnstable was more pronounced
than in other Cape communities during this time period. Current population estimates for
Barnstable are approximately 44,000-45,000 year-round residents. The current population is
equivalent to that experienced in the late 1990s.
Table 2-9: Town of Barnstable Population Trends
1980 1990 2000 2010 2015
Barnstable 30,898 40,958 47,821 45,193 44,331
Population projections are based on both natural change (births vs. deaths) and net migration. As
a retirement destination, the Cape’s population and economy is far more impacted by migration
than by natural growth. The aging demographic profile of the Town, and of the region,
Town of Barnstable 2-22 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
predictably results in a declining natural growth rate. Barnstable County has the oldest median
age in the Commonwealth (52.5 years) and has been experiencing a natural decrease in
population since 1991.1
Positive in-migration was the contributing factor to population growth between 1970 and 2000.
As the region’s labor force, employment, and economic performance began to decline, so did
rates of in-migration. In the decade of the 2000s, net migration was slightly positive (approx.
900 net in-migrants) while natural decrease was the dominant contributor to population decline.
Thus far in the 2010s, natural decrease and net migration have nearly equaled each other;
resulting in a slight decrease in population since 2010.
Analysis of the change in share the population amongst age cohorts shows expected “bell-
shaped” trends over the past few decades in all except the 65 year and older group. Younger age
cohorts increased until 2000 and have since declined. In Barnstable, the percentage of residents
under the age of 18 has decreased from 19.1% in 2010 to 16.9% in 2017. This trend is reflected
in changes in regional school enrollment, which declined 9.1% between 2010 (31,535) and 2017
(28,650). The share of persons aged 20-44 years also declined, likely as a result of residents
moving off Cape for educational and job opportunities.
2.2.6.1.2 Forecasts and Projections
Data from the U.S. Census and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Office
of Transportation Planning, provided to Metropolitan Planning Organizations, both indicate a
continuation in population decline over the next three decades, with the regional population
dipping below 200,000 in 2030. These projections, however, do not take into account factors
such as the Cape’s profile as a seasonal and retirement destination. The continued attractiveness
of the Cape as a retirement destination amplifies the influence of future migration, as opposed to
natural growth and may result in an underestimation in population.2
The Cape Cod Commission’s Regional Housing Market Analysis and 10-year Forecast of
Housing Supply and Demand by Crane Associates, Inc, dated June 30, 2017, forecasts
population growth in Barnstable through 2025. Barnstable is predicted to increase its population
by an average of 215 residents per year (0.51%). The Mid-Cape, specifically the Town of
Barnstable, is predicted to show stronger population growth than other areas within the region.
The Crane Report cites expected future job growth as a population driver. Other factors that
1 Cape Cod 2020 Regional Transportation Plan, Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning
Organization/Cape Cod Commission; Cape Cod Commission’s Regional Housing Market
Analysis and 10-year Forecast of Housing Supply and Demand by Crane Associates, Inc, June
30, 2017
2 Cape Cod 2020 Regional Transportation Plan, Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning
Organization/Cape Cod Commission
Town of Barnstable 2-23 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
support this determination may be the more even distribution of age and seasonal population in
Barnstable than in other towns, as well as greater potential for new development based on recent
growth, adopted land use policies, and infrastructure availability.
The Commission’s Market Analysis by Crane Associates estimates the Mid-Cape will add
approximately 3,790 jobs (0.59% annual average growth rate) between 2015 and 2025. The
predicted trend is job growth presented in the Crane report is consistent with other sources that
also forecast increases in employment within the Town. According to downscaled economic
data by EMSI provided by the Cape & Islands Workforce Development Board, the Town of
Barnstable hosted 33,488 jobs in 2018. Jobs grew by 1,602 over the last five years and were
projected by that source to grow by 1,073 over the next 5 years (.63% average annual growth
rate).3 The Town of Barnstable’s designated role as a regional commercial center, the existing
availability of infrastructure to support higher density development, and a trend toward
encouraging future residential and commercial growth all support projections that residential and
commercial infrastructure demands on infrastructure could increase.
Table 2-10: Town of Barnstable Building Permits
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
RESIDENTIAL
New Dwellings 83 94 58 60 43
Additions/Alterations 1421 1562 1796 1609 1587
Demolitions 49 48 47 71 63
Rebuilds 26 28 24 29 25
COMMERCIAL
New Buildings 17 5 17 16 19
Remodel 288 304 217 459 570
Building permit numbers continue to show strong patterns of redevelopment and reinvestment in
both the single-family and commercial sectors, which reflect the limited supply of remaining
vacant developable land available. The rate of issuance of building permits for single-family
residential dwellings shows a trend towards decline of new construction over the past five years.
The single-family construction numbers continue to stand in contrast to high rates of new growth
in preceding decades; by comparison, the Town averaged 235 new single-family residential units
per year in the late nineties. The above permit numbers, however, do not fully reflect the
3 Emsi Q1 2019 Data Set for 10 Massachusetts Zip Codes within the Town of Barnstable
Town of Barnstable 2-24 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
significant recent increases in multi-family units in Hyannis and Barnstable. Within the above
time-frame, a total of 390 multi-family units in five projects were completely constructed; an
estimated 100 additional units have completed the development review process and are
anticipated to become available within the next one to two years. In the commercial sector,
Barnstable has experienced significant investment in the form of redevelopment in the regional
commercial center, including projects such as the Cape Cod Five headquarters and reinvestment
in the large retail centers. A number of high profile projects, including redevelopment of Cape
Town Plaza and Cape Cod Healthcare’s planned six-story addition, are indicative of continued
strong commercial investment.
These analyses and observations are largely consistent with the demand analysis presented in the
New Sources Alternatives Evaluation Report, prepared for the Town by Weston & Sampson in
March 2019. This report anticipated increases in Hyannis Water System projected average daily
demand through 2023 based on economic and other factors.
When considering impacts on growth, population projections are an important determinant, but
rates of household formation are also significant. Demographic data indicates that current and
future population is concentrated in the upper age cohorts, a group which has already formed
independent households and is not predicted to drive new household formation in the future.
Overarching trends, both regionally and nationally, are towards declining household size (or
fewer people per household), primarily driven by increases in single-person households and
single-parent families. This trend, combined with an expected demand for smaller units by
persons in upper age cohorts, could potentially drive demand for smaller housing units.4
Table 2-11: Town of Barnstable Households, 1990-2015
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Households 16,593 17,984 19,647 19,729 19,225 19,503
Finally, the impacts of Cape Cod’s identity as a seasonal housing market and tourist destination
must be considered. The Town’s housing stock has always included a share of seasonal units.
This share, however, was shown to have increased significantly during the Great Recession,
which resulted in low real estate values on the Cape and opportunities for acquisition by people
in strong regional markets (New York and Boston). The result Cape-wide was a decline in year-
round housing units between 2010 and 2015. Because of aging demographics and the Cape’s
continued attractiveness as a retirement destination, the demand for seasonal housing units is
4 Cape Cod Commission’s Regional Housing Market Analysis and 10-year Forecast of Housing
Supply and Demand by Crane Associates, Inc, June 30, 2017
Town of Barnstable 2-25 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
expected to remain strong. Seasonal housing units are expected to increase at more than twice
the rate of year-round units through 2025.5
2.2.6.1.3 Summary
In summary, a review of recent studies indicates that Barnstable can expect modest year-round
population growth (±215 residents/year) over the next ten years as a result strong economic
prospects. Additionally, the attractiveness of Barnstable as a seasonal retirement community is
expected to continue. These population forecasts should be paired with observed trends towards
decreasing household size, diminishing single-family residential permit activity, and increases in
multi-family housing production. Should these population and market demand trends continue,
the Town can expect to see modest population growth, coupled with increased demand for
smaller-scale housing units, and continued strong demand for seasonal housing.
2.2.6.2 BUILDOUT
Buildout studies first done for wastewater and comprehensive land use planning conducted in the
late 2000s and then updated for MEP reports and the 2017 Water Resources Advisory
Committee were used as a basis for this analysis. The prior buildout methodologies were
reviewed and updated to reflect new development, regulatory changes, and current conditions.
Projections were made on a parcel by parcel basis to estimate potential development that may
occur at a future time of buildout. The number of residential dwelling units and non-residential
building square footage were estimated for future buildout conditions.
This methodology produces a picture of the Town’s “ultimate” buildout condition, with each
parcel being subdivided or developed based on current zoning, or, for non-residential properties,
floor-area ratio assumptions derived from current zoning. In a limited number of instances,
additional buildout potential was assigned to a parcel based on the strong prospects of
development potential notwithstanding current zoning.
5 Seasonal housing units are expected to increase at more than twice the rate of year-round units
through 2025.
Town of Barnstable 2-26 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-12: Future Residential Wastewater Generation – “Ultimate” Buildout
Watershed
Existing
Residential
Dwelling Units
Additional
Dwelling Units
at “Ultimate”
Buildout
Additional
Wastewater
Flow at
“Ultimate”
Buildout (gpd)1
Centerville River 7,789 403 65,290
Three Bays 5,328 835 176,600
Rushy Marsh Pond 8 2 500
Popponesset Bay 858 120 21,280
Halls Creek 2,531 193 27,790
Lewis Bay (not including
Halls Creek) 5,488 2,579 371,380
Scorton Creek 6 2 420
Barnstable Harbor 3,718 1,827 332,150
Uncategorized (outside all
watersheds) 966 155 32,640
TOTALS: 26,692 6,116 1,028,050
1. Flows are based upon 90% of the Average Water Consumption per Dwelling Unit
in each watershed as provided in Table 5-11 of the 2011 Needs Assessment Report
(See Appendix R)
Town of Barnstable 2-27 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-13: Future Commercial Wastewater Generation – “Ultimate” Buildout
Watershed
Existing
Commercial
Building
Square
Footage
Additional
Commercial
Building Square
Footage at
“Ultimate”
Buildout
Additional
Wastewater
Flow at
“Ultimate”
Buildout (gpd)1
Centerville River 1,559,488 732,439 38,090
Three Bays 1,164,866 1,325,995 79,560
Rushy Marsh Pond 0 0 0
Popponesset Bay 62,764 112,884 10,720
Halls Creek 428,089 347,762 27,470
Lewis Bay (not including
Halls Creek) 9,066,887 18,309,511 1,446,450
Scorton Harbor 0 0 0
Barnstable Harbor 2,239,471 4,053,546 283,750
Uncategorized (outside all
watersheds) 148,960 375,054 52,880
TOTALS: 14,670,525 25,257,190 1,938,920
1. Flows are based upon 90% of the Average Water Consumption per 1,000 SF of
Non-Residential Use in each watershed as provided in Table 5-12 of the 2011 Needs
Assessment Report (See Appendix R)
2.2.6.2.1 Future Wastewater Generation
As previously discussed, though ultimate buildout provides an upper limit of potential flows that
could occur someday, it is not an accurate predictor of flows for specific projects and their
associated infrastructure sizing. Other factors need to be considered to help arrive at a realistic
buildout prediction for the projects design life. Areas where the greatest potential for near-term
growth exists, based on both population/market demand analysis and buildout projections (under
current regulations), include the Route 132 commercial center, the Hyannis/Barnstable industrial
areas, and the Downtown Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone, all within the Lewis Bay Watershed.
These areas are, for the most part, are already served by municipal wastewater infrastructure and
potential increases in wastewater flows have been anticipated, planned for, and allocated.
Additionally, new single-family home construction, typically reliant on Title 5 systems, are
Town of Barnstable 2-28 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
anticipated to continue only at the current modest rates of 68 new single-family dwellings
annually, with the greatest potential for new single-family home construction occurring within
the Barnstable Harbor watershed, which has been shown to have nitrogen assimilative capacity.
Finally, the areas that do have significant potential for sewer-induced growth are areas where
zoning permits more intensive development, but additional buildout has been constrained by
Title 5. These areas include the Yarmouth Road triangle, a number of large parcels along Route
132, and non-residentially zoned parcels on the Route 28 corridor. For the most part, these are
areas that are already developed in some fashion (vs being vacant lots) and as a result increase
flows will be due to redevelopment vs all new growth. Considering all of this, it is believed that
the realistic buildout prediction for the projects design life are considerably less than the ultimate
buildout numbers listed in and Table 2-13.
To establish the realistic buildout prediction for the projects design life, the design life of the
infrastructure being suggested in this CWMP should be understood. Generally, it is as follows:
WPCF – 20 Years, though tanks may last longer
Pump Stations – 20 Years, though tanks may last longer
Sewer piping – 50 Years
Given the project’s expected duration (30 years), and the design lives of the proposed
infrastructure, it was felt that a conservative design life to compute realistic buildout would be 50
years.
Considering all of the above, it was assumed that realistic buildout over the design period (50
years) will be approximately 1/3rd of the residential and commercial ultimate buildout additional
units numbers. Additionally, as was previously noted, not all watersheds are contributing to the
proposed wastewater problems. With all of this considered Table 2-14 and Table 2-15 outlines
the expected future wastewater generation.
One final note, the application of this flow will occur in infrastructure decisions, on a project by
project basis. As a result, each project will readdress the issue of potential future flows for the
relevant contributing areas. This will ensure that the latest view on growth is incorporated into
the project thinking and that infrastructure is properly sized.
Town of Barnstable 2-29 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-14: Future Residential Wastewater Generation – “Realistic” Buildout
Watershed
Existing
Residential
Dwelling
Units
Additional
Dwelling
Units at
“Ultimate”
Buildout
“Realistic”
Additional
Dwelling
Units at 50
Years
“Realistic”
Additional
Dwelling Units
In Watersheds
that contribute
to the
Wastewater
Issues
“Realistic”
Future
Wastewater
Flow -
Residential
(gpd)1
Centerville River 7,789 403 134 134 21,740
Three Bays 5,328 835 278 278 58,810
Rushy Marsh Pond 8 2 1 0 0
Popponesset Bay 858 120 40 40 7,080
Halls Creek2 2,531 193 64 0 0
Lewis Bay (not
including Halls
Creek)
5,488 2,579 859 859 123,670
Scorton Creek 6 2 1 0 0
Barnstable Harbor3 3,718 1,827 608 0 0
Uncategorized
(outside all
watersheds)
966 155 52 0 0
TOTALS: 26,692 6,116 2,037 1,311 211,300
1. Flows are based upon 90% of the Average Water Consumption per Dwelling Unit in each
watershed as provided in Table 5-11 of the 2011 Needs Assessment Report (See Appendix R)
2. It is assumed that the majority of additional residential dwelling units in the Halls Creek
Watershed are going to occur in areas that are not within the sewer expansion plan or existing
sewered areas as these areas are substantially built out with single family dwellings under
existing conditions. Halls Creek has assimilative capacity to accept additional nitrogen.
3. It is assumed that the majority of additional residential dwelling units in the Barnstable Harbor
Watershed are not going to be in the Millway Subwatershed as this subwatershed is
substantially built out with single family dwellings under existing conditions. The remaining
portions of the watershed, that are not already sewered, and which have been shown to have
assimilative capacity to accept additional nitrogen, will remain unsewered under the plan.
Town of Barnstable 2-30 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-15: Future Commercial Wastewater Generation – “Realistic” Buildout
Watershed
Existing
Commercial
Building
Square
Footage
Additional
Commercial
Building
Square
Footage at
“Ultimate”
Buildout
“Realistic”
Additional
Commercial
Square
Footage at
50 Years
“Realistic”
Additional
Commercial
Square Footage
In Watersheds
that contribute
to the
Wastewater
Issues
“Realistic”
Future
Wastewater
Flow -
Commercial
(gpd)1
Centerville River 1,559,488 732,439 243,902 243,902 11,420
Three Bays 1,164,866 1,325,995 441,556 441,556 23,850
Rushy Marsh Pond 0 0 0 0 0
Popponesset Bay 62,764 112,884 37,590 37,590 3,210
Halls Creek2 428,089 347,762 115,805 115,805 8,230
Lewis Bay (not
including Halls Creek) 9,066,887 18,309,511 6,097,067 6,097,067 433,500
Scorton Harbor 0 0 0 0 0
Barnstable Harbor3 2,239,471 4,053,546 1,349,831 1,349,831 85,040
Uncategorized (outside
all watersheds) 148,960 375,054 124,893 0 0
TOTALS: 14,670,525 25,257,191 8,410,645 8,285,752 565,250
1. Flows are based upon 90% of the Average Water Consumption per 1,000 SF of Commercial Units in
each watershed as provided in Table 5-11 of the 2011 Needs Assessment Report (See Appendix R)
2. It is assumed that the additional commercial square footage in the Halls Creek Watershed will occur
along existing sewer lines and thus is accounted for WPCF design purposes.
3 It is assumed that the additional commercial square footage in the Barnstable Harbor Watershed will
occur in the Millway Subwatershed and other areas where there is existing sewer.
Town of Barnstable 2-31 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.3 PROJECTS ALREADY UNDERWAY OR COMPLETED SINCE THE
2011 NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Since the writing of the 2011 Needs Assessment, the Town has engaged in a number of
wastewater related projects that will/can affect the nutrient loads in its embayments. These range
from actual infrastructure projects such as the Stewart’s Creek Sewer Expansion, to evaluations
of existing infrastructure to ensure capacity, to agreements regarding wastewater management
with adjoining communities, to new and alternative approaches to nutrient management issues
that are being pursued. This section is intended to update the reader on the most significant of
those activities.
2.3.1 COOPERATIVE/INTER-MUNICIPAL INITIATIVES
This section provides an overview of the cooperative and inter-municipal initiatives to date.
2.3.1.1 POPPONESSET BAY THREE TOWN IMA
The Popponesset Bay Watershed is located in the Towns of Barnstable, Mashpee, and Sandwich.
As a result, all three Towns share some responsibility for addressing the watershed’s Total
Nitrogen (TN) TMDL. To that end, from June 2016 until April 2017 the Towns met five times
to develop an Inter-municipal Agreement (IMA), and begin discussions on a potential
application for a Watershed Permit. The IMA was signed by all parties by the end of 2017. A
full copy of the IMA can be found in Appendix II. Key components of the IMA included:
The Towns agreed that it was in their best interests to apply jointly for a Watershed
Permit.
That each Town would develop and implement its own MassDEP approved CWMP or
Targeted Watershed Management Plan, and the capital projects undertaken by the Town
as a result of those plans will be the sole responsibility of that Town.
The Town of Mashpee would serve as the fiscal agent under the IMA and, as such, will
receive, hold, and expend any funds appropriated by the Parties for joint actions required
in the implementation of the IMA, as well as any grant funds awarded to the Parties for
the purpose of pursuing, securing, and implementing a Permit.
The Towns would establish a Popponesset Bay Watershed Work Group, which would be
comprised of three members from each Town (Town Manager, Selectman/Town
Councilor, and a technical representative), and which will:
o Administer this IMA and any amendments to it;
o Administer the application and implementation of a Watershed Permit; but
o The Work Group has no authority to bind one or more of the Parties.
The Towns established a nitrogen allocation formula for the purpose of assigning costs
(see Table within this bullet). They further agreed that the costs should be allocated on
the basis of un-attenuated and attenuated nitrogen loadings.
Town of Barnstable 2-32 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
o The un-attenuated loads for tracking and accounting of nitrogen reductions which
result from implemented measures.
o The attenuated loads to provide a benchmark for comparison of improvements to
water quality based on implemented measures. Attenuated load is what is
‘received in the estuary’. See Table 2-16.
The Towns agreed to develop a fair and practical methodology for nitrogen trading
mechanism.
The Towns agreed to work together to adopt a fair and practical methodology for
monitoring the water quality of the watershed and funding said effort.
Table 2-16: Nitrogen Load Sharing by Town – Popponesset Bay Watershed IMA
Unattenuated Attenuated
Barnstable 12.6% 16.0%
Mashpee 65.4% 74.5%
Sandwich 22.0% 9.5%
Total 100% 100%
2.3.1.2 YARMOUTH/BARNSTABLE FEASIBILITY STUDY
The towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth share the impaired Lewis Bay Watershed. In 2018,
Yarmouth was awarded an Efficiency and Regionalization Grant from the State’s Community
Compact Program, a portion of which was used to fund an analysis of the potential to share
wastewater treatment and effluent recharge between the two towns. As noted within this
CWMP, Barnstable has an existing treatment facility, but may need to find additional disposal
capacity. Yarmouth has additional disposal capacity at its Buck Island Road site, but does not
have treatment facilities. The initial result of this effort is summarized in a memo which
included in Appendix JJ. What was found was that sharing wastewater treatment and effluent
recharge between communities is feasible, but the details regarding cost apportionment between
the communities for the effort still needs to be negotiated and will ultimately dictate whether the
effort moves forward.
In anticipation of this effort the Town has appropriated 1.3 million dollars to install piping under
the railroad tracks and along the length of Route 28 during the MassDOT project.
2.3.1.3 JOINT BASE CAPE COD
Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) has a wastewater treatment and disposal system on its property that
may be suited to serve as a potential regional wastewater system. The system provides service
for on-base facilities, and was designed for 70,000 users, though currently only serves
approximately 3,500 users. It is owned by the United States Air Force (USAF) and operated and
maintained by the Massachusetts Air National Guard 102nd Intelligence Wing (ANG). The
Town of Barnstable 2-33 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
treatment plant (here after referred to as the WWTF) is an extended aeration activated sludge
facility (biological nitrogen removal) that was constructed in 1995. The WWTF has a design
capacity of 360,000 gpd (annual average) and a maximum day flow of 840,000 gpd. Treated
effluent from the facility is piped via a 12-inch diameter ductile iron force main approximately
10.5 miles from the WWTF, through the Reserve, to a set of four Rapid Infiltration Basins
(RIBs) that are located at the northwest edge of the JBCC near the Cape Cod Canal. The effluent
force main has a design capacity of 1,400,000 gpd (peak hour) and could potentially be increased
to 1,750,000 gpd on a peak hour basis with some modifications. The RIBs have a total surface
area of 259,160 square feet, and are permitted for disposal of up to 360,000 gpd of effluent on a
12-month rolling average basis and up to a maximum of 840,000 gpd on any given day.
One of the concerns of using the JBCC system as a regional wastewater system is the condition
of both the existing water and wastewater infrastructure. The Air Force has been clear that
whatever entity takes over the wastewater system, will also have to take over the water system.
These systems are extensive, and have not been maintained or had capital investments made to
them to the same level as expected by municipalities. The wastewater collection system and
water system are described below.
Wastewater Collection System
Approximately 36 miles of sewer piping (161,000 LF) and 595 sewer manholes (SMHs):
o 15% AC Pipe constructed in the 1960s (within 15 years of being at the end of
design life).
o 80% VC Pipe constructed in the 1940s and 1950s (at the end of design life).
o 5% PVC Pipe constructed in the 1990s.
11 pump stations
Water System
Two primary water supplies:
o The interconnection with the Upper Cape Regional Water Supply Cooperative
(UCRWSC).
o The J-Well located on the JBCC, which is much more costly to treat and pump to
the distribution system than wholesale purchase of bulk water from the UCRWSC
Two 400,000-gallon elevated water storage tanks.
o The tanks were constructed in 1942, dating back to the origin of the water system.
Both tanks were refurbished in the early 1990s.
o Both tanks are approaching 75 years old and both are constructed using an older,
high maintenance technology for water storage.
Serves approximately 380 customers.
Does not use water meters to determine billing, rather water bills are generated based on
a usage algorithm.
Town of Barnstable 2-34 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Contains approximately 270 fire hydrants, many date back the original distribution
system or were added with the expansion in the 1950s.
The total length of water mains in the JBCC water distribution system is approximately
259,000 feet or 49 miles.
o 144,000 LF of unlined cast iron water main ranging in size from 2-inch to 12-inch
in diameter was installed in 1940 and 1941.
o 112,000 LF of cement lined cast iron pipe installed between 1955 and 1960.
o 32,900 feet of asbestos cement (transite) mains, also installed between 1955 and
1960, that are reported to be brittle and increasingly a problem.
o 13,275 LF of copper pipe installed in the 1950s.
o 3,020 LF of ductile iron pipe installed in the 1980s.
The costs of bringing these systems up to modern standards and operating them are significant.
Massachusetts Development, and/or the four surrounding towns (Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee,
and Sandwich) have been investigating the possibility of making the WWTF a regional facility in
one form or another for over a decade. During the winter of 2018/2019 Barnstable was
approached by members of the aforementioned team and invited to join the four towns in their
pursuit of the JBCC. Massachusetts Development was no longer a primary player, and the other
towns felt Barnstable’s participation would be beneficial. Barnstable agreed to join, and
immediately contracted with a consultant to help come up-to-speed on the issues, opportunities,
and challenges associated with facilities, and to “catch-up” with the other towns. The results of
the consultant’s efforts can be found in Appendices KK to NN.
2.3.2 NON-TRADITIONAL PROJECTS
This section provides an overview of non-traditional projects that the Town (and its various
partners) are pursuing or have perused since the 2011 Needs Assessment Report. The Town’s
main effort relative to non-traditional projects is focused on the Three Bays Watershed,
specifically the Marstons Mills River. A team of experts from science and government fields
were formed to look at opportunities for nontraditional, in situ, approaches to nutrient reduction
in the Marstons Mills River. The team was comprised of the following members: James
Crocker, Town Councilor, Precinct 5; Dr. Brian Howes, Chancellor Professor, School of Marine
Science and Technology, UMass Dartmouth; Zenas Crocker, Executive Director, Barnstable
Clean Water Coalition; Scott Horsley, Water Resources Consultant; Dan Santos, Director,
Barnstable DPW; and Rob Steen, Assistant Director, Barnstable DPW. The Team initially was
focused on Mill Pond, and specifically the dredging of Mill Pond, which had been suggested as a
nitrogen reduction effort in previous planning. However, it became apparent that a better
approach would be to look at the Marstons Mills River, from its origins in cranberry bogs at its
upper end to where it exists into North Bay, as a complete treatment system. To organize this
approach, the nutrient removal from the river system was categorized into four efforts:
Town of Barnstable 2-35 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
1. Utilization of the cranberry bogs at the upper end of the river
2. Mill Pond dredging
3. Innovative nutrient removing septic systems, and farming practices along its reaches
4. Warren’s Cove dredging and aquaculture
It became apparent that items 1 and 3 were best pursued by the Barnstable Clean Water Coalition
(BCWC), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, while items 2 and 4 by the Town of Barnstable.
In doing so the basis of a strong public-private partnership was formed between the Town and
BCWC.
2.3.2.1 UPPER-END CRANBERRY BOGS
The headwaters of the Marstons Mills River contain approximately 150 acres of cranberry bogs.
The BCWC has been collecting water quality data at the bogs, and found that more than 8,000kg
of nitrogen flows out from them into the Marstons Mills River each year, or about 40% of the
watershed’s excess nitrogen load. Most of this nitrogen originates from septic systems that
discharge to groundwater that then flows into the bogs as they are a collection area for the
groundwater from much of the surrounding residential developments. The bogs contain wetlands
and on old maps, the entire site was marked “ponds and wetlands”. Interestingly, the farmers
have stated that while they used to apply fertilizer, little is now needed since the crops do well
without additional nitrogen. As a result, BCWC and the Town believe that the bogs could play a
vital role in reducing the nitrogen load in our watershed. As of the writing of this report, BCWC
is working closely with the farmers to examine a series of pilot programs that would allow for
significant nitrogen attenuation to occur without negatively impacting their farming of the bogs.
2.3.2.2 MILL POND DREDGING
Mill Pond is a manmade pond at the mid-point of the river system, at the intersection of Routes
149 and 28. The pond has been progressively filling with silt and debris since its creation, to the
point that it is less than 1-foot deep in many locations. Recent work by Dr. Brian L. Howes, Dr.
David Schlezinger, and Dr. Roland Samimy of the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth,
School of Marine Science and Technology, documented in a technical memorandum dated
October 25, 2017 titled Fresh Pond Restoration and Management, Benthic Nutrient Flux of Mill
Pond, Town of Barnstable, Quantifying the Rates of Nutrient Release/Uptake from Sediments in
Mill Pond and Comparison to Historic Rates;(see Appendix OO) concluded the following:
1. Sediment has been gradually filling Mill Pond over the past four centuries. This has
resulted in very short hydraulic residence time (~1 day) in the pond, which likely results
in a reduction in the retention of nitrogen by the pond, thus passing most of it down the
Marstons Mills River to the Three Bays System.
2. Removal of watershed derived total nitrogen by Mill Pond appears to be approximately
25% annually, but only 7%-11% in the June–August period.
Town of Barnstable 2-36 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
3. Nitrate entering Mill Pond is either removed (likely through denitrification - about 25%
of the total nitrogen removed by Mill Pond in summer, a much lower fraction than other
Cape Cod fresh ponds) or transformed to organic nitrogen forms (25% - 35%), although
most is discharged to the downgradient estuary. The high level of nitrate discharged from
Mill Pond (0.5 mg/L even in summer) indicates there is strong potential for additional
nitrogen removal within this basin.
4. Enhancement of denitrification within Mill Pond should be possible in light of higher
denitrification rates measured in other Cape Cod Ponds, the high nitrate remaining after
passage through the pond and the low residence time.”
The Group hypothesized that assuming that the nitrogen attenuation capacity of Mill Pond could
be restored to 50% removal, then approximately 2,200 kg/year of additional nitrogen could be
removed from the downstream system, or about 10% of the total nitrogen that needs to be
removed from the Three Bays system. Additionally, the group identified other ecological
benefits to restoring the pond to its original form. As an example, the sediments that had
accumulated over the years in the pond are suspected to be acting as a source for nitrogen within
the system. The pond is in a herring run, and it is believed that restoring the pond would be
beneficial to the herring’s passage. Finally, anecdotally it has been noted that the sediments
within the pond pose a significant safety concern. Though they appear solid enough to wade on,
they are reportedly too fluid to support human weight and would almost act as “quick sand”.
Given how shallow this pond has become, and the temptation to wade in it, this is a dangerous
situation for the public at large.
2.3.2.3 SEPTIC SYSTEMS AND FARMING ALONG THE RIVERS REACHES
While in situ treatment of nitrogen is an important technique to achieving the Town goals, source
reduction of nitrogen, whether it be residential or commercial wastewater treatment, is still the
primary focus. There are new, and emerging septic system technologies that are being tested and
which seem to be more effectively removing nitrogen. The Massachusetts Alternative Septic
System Test Center (MASSTC) is a leading test site for innovative septic systems in the U.S. and
is located on Cape Cod. MASSTC is currently testing individual alternative systems that
perform as well as many municipal systems. BCWC is working closely with MASSTC, Mass
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), U.S. EPA and the Town to create a pilot
program where they can monitor and track innovative/alternative (I/A) systems in a real-world
environment in the Town’s watersheds. In addition, they are working with The Nature
Conservancy to develop a financing plan to create a roadmap for widespread replacement of
Title 5 septic systems with these alternative technologies.
BCWC’s water quality monitoring has also discovered several “hot spots” along the river. The
most troubling is a horse farm with 8-10 horses. It is believed that a horse’s liquid waste
produces as much nitrogen as 20 to 40 people. During a heavy rain event, the monitoring just
Town of Barnstable 2-37 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
downstream from this farm revealed a nitrogen level six times the normal level recorded at this
site, while the river flow was only three times higher than normal. Essentially, this one location
may be contributing approximately one month’s amount of nitrogen within hours. BCWC has
been working with scientists and engineers from the U.S. EPA, UMass, and Horsley Witten
Group to develop and install a simple, easily constructed, wood chip-based bioreactor
(effectively a Permeable Reactive Barrier) that is designed to significantly reduce the nitrogen
flow from stormwater on these types of farms.
2.3.2.4 WARREN’S COVE DREDGING
Warren’s Cove is located at the exit of the river system as it empties into Prince Cove. Over
time the cove has silted in due to poor tidal flushing and macro algae blooms. This has resulted
in the cove becoming a “dead zone” full of silt and decaying matter. It was hypothesized that if
the cove was dredged back to its sandy bottom, it would eliminate the nitrogen being contributed
from the decaying silt and matter in its benthic layers, and could create an environment that
could serve as a nursery for the local aquaculture farms, which would help further remove algae
and nitrogen from the waterbody.
2.3.2.5 SAMPSON’S ISLAND DREDGING
Sampson’s Island is a barrier beach on the south side of the Three Bays embayment. To the west
of Sampson’s Island, between the mainland of Cotuit, is a navigational channel which connects
Cotuit Bay to Nantucket Sound. The eastern end of the island (known as Dead Neck)
experiences significant erosion due to net littoral drift moving from east-to-west along this
stretch of shoreline, which has resulted in an 800-foot sand spit forming on the western end of
Sampson’s Island. This spit has reduced the channel width which has reduced tidal flushing
within Cotuit Bay. The Sampson’s Island Dredging project is a three-phase, three-year project
which will widen the channel width by approximately 400 feet in an effort to improve flushing in
Cotuit Bay and improve navigation. The dredged material will be beneficially reused on-site for
beach nourishment and bird habitat enhancement. The project is scheduled to be completed in
the winter of 2020.
Town of Barnstable 2-38 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.3.3 TRADITIONAL APPROACH
This section provides an overview of traditional (sewer collection, treatment and disposal)
projects that the Town has completed or has underway.
2.3.3.1 STEWARTS CREEK SEWER EXPANSION
The Stewart’s Creek Sewer Expansion was located in the southeast section of the Town of
Barnstable in the Village of Hyannis. The sewer area is divided in two sections, east and west, by
Stewart’s Creek. The area was listed in the “Wastewater Facilities Plan Phase 1, Needs
Assessment Report” dated December 1993, as an “Area of Concern”. The area is plagued by
high groundwater conditions, with wastewater discharged at groundwater level, near resource
areas, with poor soils and small lots. The sewer extension was completed in 2012. Significant
points of the project are:
The Project also included updated stormwater structures and road improvements
as needed.
The sewer design included system resilience by removing a vulnerable sewer line
crossing at the mouth of Stewart’s Creek which opens to Hyannis
Harbor/Nantucket Sound.
Gravity and low pressure systems were combined to decrease the area of
disturbance and cost.
Policy: “Deadlines for Connections to Public Sewer Stewart’s Creek Area
Project” was adopted on February 12, 2013 by Barnstable Board of Health.
First connection to the sewer was in October 2012.
Total dwelling units to be connected is listed as 288, with one unit taken for taxes
by the Town. Total number of parcels is 241 and the breakdown of unit types
shown on Table 2-17.
Town of Barnstable 2-39 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 2-17: Stewart’s Creek Sewer Extension
Unit Type Parcels
Total
Dwelling
Units
Single Fam MDL-01* 178 178
Two Family 34 68
Multi Houses/Rooming MDL-01 3 3
Municipal MDL-00 6 NA
Undevelopable MDL-00 7 NA
Vacant Land MDL-00 3 3
Potentially Developable Land 1 1
Condo MDL-05 3 29
Bed & Breakfast 1 1
Accessory 1 1
Auto Repairs* 2 2
Charity Org MDL-01 1 1
Housing Auth MDL-01 1 1
Total 241 288
2.3.3.2 ROUTE 28 EAST SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT
The Route 28 East Sewer Expansion Project will install sewer infrastructure, including gravity
sewer within Route 28 from Strawberry Hill Road to Phinney’s Lane, a large pump station
located at the intersection of Route 28 and Phinney’s Lane, and sewer force mains which will
convey flow from the proposed pump station to the BWPCF. The proposed pump station is
anticipated to be utilized as a “booster” pump station for the sewer expansion into the Three
Bays Watershed and the westerly portions of the Centerville River Watershed. As of the writing
of this document, Town Council has appropriated $800,000 for preliminary and final design for
this project and $283,900 to purchase a property located at the intersection of Route 28 and
Phinney’s Lane which is anticipated to be used to site the required pump station.
2.3.3.3 ATTUCKS LANE SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT
The Attucks Lane Sewer Expansion Project will enable approximately 5,500 LF of sewer piping
on portions of Attucks Lane, Iyannough Road (Route 132) and Old Strawberry Hill Road which
will feed the new Attucks Lane Pump Station. This project will provide businesses and
residences in the area a municipal solution to their wastewater needs. By doing so, the project
will remove an estimated 500 kg/year of nitrogen from the Barnstable Harbor Watershed by
removal of the existing septic systems. As of the writing of this document, Town Council has
appropriated $100,000 for design and construction for this project.
Town of Barnstable 2-40 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank approached the Town about its desire to build a new state of
the art headquarters at a 1500 Iyannough Road, which is a piece of property located between
Attucks Lane and Iyannough Road (Route 132). Cape Cod Five offered to build a pump station
on the site that would connect via a force main to the nearest point of the sewer collection
system, approximately 250 feet east of the intersection of Phinney’s Lane and Attucks Lane. As
part of this work, Cape Cod Five installed necessary gravity sewer piping on-site for future tie-
ins to the pump station. An agreement was reached between Cape Cod Five and the Town,
where Cape Cod Five would construct the pump station and would gift it to the Town. The Town
will then operate and maintain the pump station. Construction of the Attucks Lane Pump Station
and associated gravity sewer and force main are scheduled to be completed in 2019.
2.3.3.4 PHINNEY’S LANE SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT
The Phinney’s Lane Sewer Expansion Project will expand sewer to north of Route 28 along
Phinney’s Lane and the Wequaquet Lane area in Centerville to approximately Old Strawberry
Hill Road. It will include gravity sewer and some low-pressure sewer. Residences in this area
are completely dependent on on-site solutions to address their wastewater, which has had a
negative effect on Lake Wequaquet, and to a lesser extent the Centerville River. As of the
writing of this document, Town Council has appropriated $1,050,000 for preliminary and final
design for this project.
Table 2-18: Phinney’s Lane Sewer Expansion Project Summary
2.3.3.5 LONG POND SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT
The Long Pond Project will expand sewer to south of Route 28 around Long Pond in Centerville.
This will provide municipal wastewater collection to over 600 homes. It will include gravity
sewer, low pressure sewer, one pump station on Main Street, Centerville, and one pump station
at the south side of Long Pond. As of the writing of this document, Town Council has
appropriated $1,340,000 for preliminary and final design for this project and $549,000 to
purchase a property on Main Street, Centerville which may be used to site the required pump
station.
Table 2-19: Long Pond Sewer Expansion Project Summary
Number of Parcels Connected WW Captured (gpd) N Removed (kg/day)
606 114,600 11.4
Number of Parcels Connected WW Captured (gpd) N Removed (kg/day)
653 94,200 9.4
Town of Barnstable 2-41 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.3.3.6 STRAWBERRY HILL ROAD SEWER EXPANSION PROJECT
Vineyard Wind reached an agreement with the Town to land submarine cables on the shore of
Covell’s Beach, and will use Town roads to lay the upland cables to the substation. While
Vineyard Wind installs duct bank vaults up to the substation, the Town will be installing
approximately 19,000 LF gravity sewer from Route 132 to Covell’s Beach, approximately 9,300
LF of sewer force main, and one new sewer pump station. This provides a backbone for the
eventual sewering of ±1,640 parcels which will remove 25.5 kg/day of total nitrogen. The Town
will be saving an estimated $3,000,000 due to Vineyard Wind completing the paving, surveying,
designing, etc.
Table 2-20: Strawberry Hill Sewer Expansion Project Summary
Number of Parcels Connected WW Captured (gpd) N Removed (kg/day)
240 47,070 4.7
2.3.3.7 OLD YARMOUTH ROAD SEWER EXPANSION
The Old Yarmouth Road project is a conceptual plan and is currently not funded. The plan
includes installing gravity sewer in the Old Yarmouth Road “triangle” area. Just south of Old
Yarmouth Road is the location of the Hyannis Water District’s Maher Wellfield. Sewering is
needed to accommodate future economic development in the area and the protection of the
Maher Wellfield from potential contaminants. MassDOT will be working on intersection
improvements at Iyannough Road (Route 28) and Yarmouth Road which will consist of
intersection reconstruction and traffic signal upgrades. During the improvements the Town will
be installing sewer pipe within the project limits, taking advantage of the opened road. The
Town is also working with property owners and developers in the area to establish a
public/private partnership to install sewer infrastructure. As of the writing of this document,
Town Council has appropriated $750,000 for the installation of the sewer infrastructure as part of
the MassDOT Project.
Table 2-21: Old Yarmouth Road Sewer Expansion Project Summary
Number of Parcels Connected WW Captured (gpd) N Removed (kg/day)
130 22,600 2.2
2.3.3.8 ROUTE 28 CENTERVILLE (MARSTONS MILLS WWTP TRANSITION)
The proposed project would utilize an existing footprint of the Marstons Mills Wastewater
Treatment Plant (MMWWTP) and convert it to a municipal wastewater pump station. This
station would be designed to sewer the nearby properties and accommodate future sewering
needs in the area. An intermediate pump station would also be included along Route 28 to
convey the wastewater along Route 28 from this converted pump station to the aforementioned
Town of Barnstable 2-42 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
pump station at the intersection of Route 28 and Phinney’s Lane which will convey flows to
WPCF.
2.3.3.9 MERCHANT’S WAY SEWER EXPANSION
Kidd’s Hill Sewer Expansion was developed after the receiving of a $3,753,000 MassWorks
grant. The Grant funded sidewalks on Independence Drive and Kidd’s Hill Road, multiple
intersection upgrades, drainage improvements and public utility extensions (sewer and water).
The sewer improvements include installation of sewer on portions of Kidd’s Hill Road,
Merchant’s Lane and Business Drive which would serve future developments (properties in this
area are currently undeveloped). This project is anticipated to be completed in the Fall of 2019.
2.3.3.10 COTUIT SEWER EXPANSION EVALUATION
With the possibility of an interconnection with JBCC, there is discussion of installing sewer in
Cotuit, and bringing it the JBCC plant. The JBCC would allow the Town to address nitrogen
removal in the western part of the town, and could provide solutions to other sections of the
Town as well. As of the writing of this document, Town Council has appropriated $250,000 for
evaluation and preliminary design of sewer into Cotuit. The potential sewer extension into
Cotuit has been shown as the three “stages” on the Town’s phasing plan.
Town of Barnstable 2-43 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
2.4 SUMMARY OF THE NEEDS
The previous sections have summarized the wastewater needs of the Town of Barnstable and the
steps the Town has taken since the 2011 Needs Assessment to address these needs. The intent of
the CWMP is to continue to identify and address the wastewater needs of the Town of
Barnstable. The wastewater needs of the Town that are addressed by the CWMP are
summarized in Figure 2-24 and Error! Reference source not found..
Table 2-22: Summary of the Needs
Watershed Nitrogen
Removal
Ponds &
Well
Protection
Economic
Development
Other
Sanitary
Needs
Currently
Sewered
Remain
Unsewered Total
Lewis Bay
Parcels 699 132 41 0 2,224 2,124 5,220
WW (gpd) 131,238 22,603 28,024 0 1,062,378 284,135 1,528,378
Halls Creek
Parcels 0 86 0 266 328 688 1,368
WW (gpd) 0 10,162 0 38,563 108,383 95,708 252,816
Centerville
River
Parcels 2,636 1,809 6 0 46 3,501 7,998
WW (gpd) 480,421 248,140 1,942 0 35,757 610,326 1,376,586
Three Bays
Parcels 3,112 482 22 0 0 2,009 5,625
WW (gpd) 655,058 83,675 3,250 0 0 482,914 1,224,897
Rushy
Marsh
Parcels 0 0 0 0 0 18 18
(gpd) 0 0 0 0 0 3,779 3,779
Popponesset
Bay
Parcels 505 8 0 0 0 430 943
WW (gpd) 81,161 753 0 0 0 81,637 163,551
Barnstable
Harbor
Parcels 364 304 74 0 443 3,471 4,656
WW (gpd) 55,982 56,569 15,741 0 121,193 541,795 791,280
Undefined
Parcels 0 0 0 164 0 854 1,018
WW (gpd) 0 0 0 44,840 0 208,980 253,820
Total
Parcels 7,316 2,821 143 430 3,041 13,095 26,846
WW (gpd) 1,403,860 421,902 48,957 83,403 1,327,711 2,309,274 5,595,107
Town of Barnstable 2-44 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-1: Watershed Boundaries
Town of Barnstable 2-45 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-2: Groundwater Contours
Town of Barnstable 2-46 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 2-3: Named Freshwater Bodies
Town of Barnstable 2-47 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 2-4: Present Sewer
Town of Barnstable 2-48 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 2-5: Storm Water Infrastructure
Town of Barnstable 2-49 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 2-6: Water Supply
Town of Barnstable 2-50 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 2-7: Zoning and ACEC
Town of Barnstable 2-51 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-8: FEMA Flood Zones (2014)
Town of Barnstable 2-52 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-9: NHESP Priority Habitats and Estimated Habitats
Town of Barnstable 2-53 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-10: NHESP Certified Vernal Pools and Potential Vernal Pools
Town of Barnstable 2-54 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 2-11: Sentinel Stations
Town of Barnstable 2-55 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-12: Nitrogen Loading Hotspots
Town of Barnstable 2-56 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-13: State-designated Wellhead Protection Areas
Town of Barnstable 2-57 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-14: Town of Barnstable Groundwater Protection Overlay Districts
Town of Barnstable 2-58 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-15: MEP Modeled Existing Target Septic Load Removal
Town of Barnstable 2-59 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-16: MEP Modeled Future Target Septic Load Removal
Town of Barnstable 2-60 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-17: Phinney’s Lane Sewer Expansion Project
Town of Barnstable 2-61 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-18: Long Pond Sewer Expansion Project
Town of Barnstable 2-62 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-19: Strawberry Hill Road Sewer Expansion Project
Town of Barnstable 2-63 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-20: Old Yarmouth Road Sewer Expansion Project
Town of Barnstable 2-64 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-21: Route 28 Centerville (MMWWTF Transition) Project
Town of Barnstable 2-65 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-22: Merchant’s Lane Sewer Expansion Project
Town of Barnstable 2-66 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 2-23: Cotuit Sewer Evaluation / Cotuit “Staging” Plan
Town of Barnstable 2-67 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 2-24: Wastewater Needs Areas
Town of Barnstable 3-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
3 EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGY ALTERNATIVES
This section addresses the Identification, Screening, and Evaluation of Alternatives Phase of the
CWMP process. As previously noted, Chapter 4 of the Cape Cod Commission’s 208 Plan did a
complete examination of the potential technologies, relevant to Cape Cod, that address
wastewater needs. The chapter outlines expected nitrogen removals of the identified technology,
their related costs, installation considerations, advantages, and disadvantages. The Town used
that information during its planning to make decisions on its plan. As a result, rather than
creating a new document on the subject, this section will refer to the 208 Plan (see Appendix A)
and highlight some of the technologies that are incorporated in to the plan.
3.1 SUMMARY OF CAPE COD COMMISSION 208 PLAN CHAPTER 4
The 208 Plan is a watershed-based approach that deploys regulatory reforms, innovative
strategies, and community-wide processes to mitigate nitrogen pollution. “Chapter 4: Nutrient
Mitigation Technologies and Policies” of the 208 Plan, explains the different technologies, tools,
policies, and approaches that can help restore water quality. The following sections describe the
technologies that have been considered in the development of the plan.
3.2 TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES
Traditional wastewater technology includes the following components:
Collection of the wastewater from more than one property;
Conveying that wastewater to a facility(s) that can treat it;
Treating the wastewater to eliminate the aspects of it that will have negative effects on
public health or the environment; and
Disposing of that wastewater in an appropriate manner.
These components apply whether one is considering a multi-property septic system or the largest
wastewater treatment facility. A quick discussion of each follows.
3.2.1.1 COLLECTION OF WASTEWATER
A wastewater collection system consists of a series of pipes which collect wastewater from
individual properties. Wastewater flows from the home/business to the street via a sewer service
connection. Usually these are the homeowner’s responsibility at least to the edge of their right-
of-way, but sometimes all the way to the sewer mains that are located in the street. The sewer
mains are owned by the municipality, and are installed so the wastewater will be moved along by
either gravity, under pressure (low pressure sewer which requires a small pump at every
property), or via a vacuum. The Town of Barnstable has all three types of sewer main piping
Town of Barnstable 3-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
within its existing collection system, and as a result has formed a strong preference for gravity
collection systems whenever possible. The Town experience is that the vacuum sewer is not
reliable, and is limited in terms of expansion. Low pressure sewers are problematic as they too
are limited in terms of expansion, and they require each property owner to have a small grinder
pump on site. The responsibility for maintaining those pumps, particularly during power
outages, has been the source of friction in the past. Gravity systems have the capability to be
expanded, are relatively problem free, and do not require property owners to own mechanical
equipment that could be argued are part of the collection system.
With a gravity system, when the collected wastewater reaches a low point in the neighborhood, it
will need to be pumped up to where it can freely flow by gravity again. This is accomplished
with pump stations. Pump stations range in size, but include an underground tank for the
wastewater to collect in and pumps and controls that will push that wastewater uphill through
pressurized pipes (force mains) to the next gravity section. There are multiple types of pump
stations; each with its own niche, though there is some overlap between them. All will have
multiple pumps (to ensure redundancy), control systems, and in Barnstable, backup power on
site.
3.2.1.2 CONVEYING WASTEWATER
Once in the sewer mains, the wastewater must be transported from the neighborhood to the
treatment facility. In the case of a communal septic system that may be within the same
neighborhood, conveyance is effectively part of the collection process. However, in other
situations – such as is planned for the neighborhoods in the Three Bays Watershed - treatment
can be multiple miles away (over five miles in Three Bays case) from the neighborhood.
Conveyance is generally accomplished using a series of pump stations and gravity mains which
take up multiple neighborhoods collection systems flows and transport them to the wastewater
treatment facility.
It is often believed that the largest expense in installing a wastewater system is in treatment,
however typically collection and conveyance represents up to 75% of the total capital
construction costs for the system.
3.2.1.3 TREATING WASTEWATER
Traditional wastewater treatment is used to eliminate the aspects of the wastewater that will have
negative effects on public health or the environment. There are lots of options regarding
wastewater treatment, with choices being informed based on the required size and scale and what
one is trying to eliminate from the wastewater.
In Barnstable’s case, the community already has a wastewater treatment facility, and it is the
Town’s intention to use that facility, expanding it as necessary, to treat as much of its wastewater
as makes practical sense.
3.2.1.4 DISPOSING OF TREATED WASTEWATER (EFFLUENT DISPOSAL)
Once the wastewater is collected, conveyed to the wastewater treatment plant, and treated, it
must then be disposed of or put to productive use (reuse). The Town’s existing wastewater plant
Town of Barnstable 3-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
disposes of the wastewater via sand beds that are located on the same grounds as the plant.
Though the plant is permitted to treat up to 4.2 MGD, it is currently limited in what is can
dispose of to 2.7 MGD (max day) pending the outcome of the effluent disposal study discussed
in Sections 2.2.2.1.3. Ultimately it is expected that mitigating measures will be found to allow
the Town to dispose of all of its treated wastewater either at the wastewater treatment plant site
or others.
3.2.2 NON-TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES
The following sections describe non-traditional technologies that have been considered in the
development of the plan. As discussed in Section 2.3.2, the focus area for the implementation of
non-traditional technologies is the Three Bays Watershed.
3.2.2.1 AQUACULTURE
The growing and removal of mature shellfish can help remove nitrogen from an estuary.
Shellfish do not absorb nitrogen directly from their environment; rather they feed on naturally-
occurring phytoplankton, which use dissolved inorganic nitrogen to grow. Thus, shellfish
incorporate nitrogen from their food into their tissues and shells. When shellfish is harvested, the
accumulated nitrogen is removed from the water.
Shellfish also play an important role in the cycling of nutrients, including nitrogen. They release
nitrogenous waste that can be used by phytoplankton as a source of nitrogen. In addition, some
of the nitrogen filtered from the water by shellfish is deposited to the sediment as feces and
pseudofeces (rejected food particles). These bio-deposits are decomposed by bacteria, which
transform the nitrogen to a variety of other forms, including ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-),
and nitrogen gas (N2).
In addition to contributing to water quality improvements, additional aquaculture could provide
economic benefits to Cape Cod. The Town of Barnstable has 61.66 of shellfish grant acreage
within Three Bays and Cotuit Bay. The Town is currently looking at Warrens Cove as a
prospective aquaculture nursery. Warren’s Cove currently is not appropriate for aquaculture due
to silt. Dredging Warren’s Cove back to a sandy bottom may allow the Town to establish
aquaculture nurseries. The Cape Cod Commission estimates that aquaculture beds/floating racks
can remove 8-15% of the nitrogen they encounter.
3.2.2.2 FERTIGATION
Fertigation consists of captivating nitrogen enriched groundwater with wells and using it to
irrigate plants. Fertigation wells can capture nutrient enriched groundwater and recycle it back to
irrigate and fertilize turf grass areas such as golf courses and athletic fields. Fertigation can
reduce nutrient loads to down gradient surface waters while reducing fertilizer costs to irrigated
areas.
Town of Barnstable 3-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
3.2.2.3 CONVERSATION OF CRANBERRY BOGS
The headwaters of the Marstons Mills River contain approximately 150 acres of cranberry bogs.
The Town believes that the abandoned bogs could play a vital role in reducing the nitrogen load
in the Three Bays watershed. The following treatments of the bogs could help reduce the amount
of nitrogen flowing into the Marstons Mills River:
Conversion to ponds (Approx. 50%)
Conversion to wetlands (TBD)
Installation of floating wetlands (Approx. 8-15%)
3.2.2.4 ALTERNATIVE TOILETS
In any wastewater plan, one of the hardest items to quantify and address are the potential future
flows from either new development, or redevelopment, of existing parcels. An approach to that
issue is code changes that require alternative toilets (or I/A septic systems) for structures that are
located in nitrogen sensitive areas that are not served by a sewer collection system. Alternative
toilets (such as urine diverting (UD) toilets and composting toilets) are potential means of
reducing both wastewater flows and pollutant loads. It has been hypothesized that human urine
typically contributes about 80% of the nitrogen and 50% of the phosphorus in household
wastewater, yet only around 1% of its volume. UD toilets are designed to capture these
nutrients via urine, and segregate it from the remaining waste stream (which could facilitate
resource recovery). Composting toilets collect all the waste (not just urine) rely on aerobic
bacteria and fungi to naturally degrade and convert the wastes into compost. This generally
happens in sealed units that are usually located in a structure’s basement. While there are some
significant benefits from these technologies, they have traditionally not gained enough public
acceptability to be widely used. One of the significant stumbling issues has been that in existing
properties they generally require significant re-plumbing, which can be expensive and disruptive.
However, this issue is avoided on new construction where the systems are installed as the
structure is being constructed.
3.2.2.5 ALTERNATIVE SEPTIC SYSTEMS
Innovative/alternative (I/A) septic systems may be used in areas where sewers are not
anticipated, but where nitrogen reduction is warranted. Prior to being permitted for use, each
type of system undergoes a three-phase approval process (Piloting Use, Provisional Use, General
Use) to ensure performance at levels at least consistent with Title 5. During the approval process,
limited numbers of each type of system may be installed under strict siting and flow conditions
and extensive monitoring. Title 5 regulations include special requirements for installation,
monitoring, and maintenance of these systems. Systems achieving Remedial Use approval are
allowed solely to replace a failed system where a conventional system could not be sited and
where there will be no increase in design flow.
Town of Barnstable 3-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
3.2.2.6 DREDGING
Ponds and lakes naturally play an important role when it comes to decreasing the levels of
nutrients in water. Freshwater and estuaries store nutrients within their sediments. As ponds age,
they accumulate years of organic material, nutrients can be released into the overlying water
column and can become a major source of nitrogen and phosphorus. Dredging and removing
these sediments and nutrients, helps reduce these nutrients from the water body and the
watershed.
The Town is currently utilizing techniques like dredging for the rehabilitation of Mill Pond. Mill
Pond is located between Route 28 and 149. Sediment has been gradually filling the pond over the
past four centuries, and currently has up to 9 feet of silt and sand. Dredging the pond back to its
original depth will give back its capacity to reduce the nitrogen concentrations.
Dredging of marine areas ensures safe access for navigators, as well as assisting in maintaining
adequate tidal flushing. Tidal flushing maintains salinity levels, dissolved oxygen levels, and
provides adequate nutrient exchange between embayments and the ocean. The Town is currently
utilizing dredging to improve tidal flushing in the Three Bays (Sampson’s Island Dredging
Project) and has previously experienced modest improvements in water quality within the
Centerville River after maintenance dredging.
3.2.2.7 PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS (PRBS)
An alternative to treating nitrogen on site or at an off-site treatment facility is to intercept nitrate
in groundwater at the coastline before it enters an embayment. A permeable reactive barrier
(PRB) is an in-situ (installed within the aquifer) treatment zone designed to intercept nitrogen
enriched groundwater. Through a carbon source, microbes in the groundwater uptake the
nitrogen, denitrifying the groundwater. As groundwater flows through the medium, microbes
naturally occurring in the groundwater consume the carbon source, as well as oxygen,
developing an anoxic environment. This process releases nitrogen gas to the atmosphere,
reducing the groundwater nitrogen load before reaching the estuary.
3.2.3 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
There is no one solution that addresses all the wastewater issues being experienced by
Barnstable. Rather it will take a mix of solutions to achieve the Town’s goals including
traditional solutions, nontraditional solutions, and “management solutions”. This last category,
management solutions, includes a variety of approaches, all of which are related in their attempt
to reduce the quantity and strength of the wastewater reaching the environment either by rules
(zoning, ordinances, regulation, etc.) or by education and changing public behavior (flow and
load reduction, storm water practices on private property, septic system improvements). In this
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section a number of those approaches will be introduced and discussed. Many of these are also
discussed in Section 4 of the Cape Cod Commission’s 208 Plan (see Appendix A).
3.2.3.1 REDUCTION OF FLOWS
One of the easiest and probably most cost effective ways to address wastewater is via reduction
of the flows and loads that come from each of our homes, businesses, and municipal facilities.
However, this also is a difficult approach to verify and enforce. Wastewater flows are the
volumes of wastewater generated from our usage of toilets, sinks, showers, dishwashers, laundry
units, etc. within our properties. It is generally measured as flow over a given time period, and
usually expressed in units such as gallons per day (gpd). Wastewater loads are the quantities of
pollutants (food waste, soaps, hormones, organic carbon, grease, human waste, etc.) contained in
the wastewater. It usually is measured in mass-per-time units such as pounds per day. A brief
summary of flow reduction strategies is provided below.
Reduction in water use can be implemented by requiring low-flow plumbing fixtures and/or
progressive water pricing. While flow reduction does not reduce the nutrient load (or other
contaminates of concern) within the wastewater, it does equate to less water that needs to be
pumped, piped and treated; or that has to be addressed by a septic system. Additionally, it saves
on source water having to be withdrawn from the ground in the first place. Low-flow plumbing
fixtures (sinks, showers, toilets, and appliances) are available and can reduce water consumption
without having to radically change behavior. Progressive water pricing charges fees based on the
size of the service and quantity of water used - the larger the service connection, the higher the
quarterly fee and the higher the water use, the higher incremental cost. This should be an
incentive for property owner to reduce their water consumption, and its resulting wastewater
flow. An additional progressive water pricing strategy would be to adjust rates seasonally, based
on historic demand. As an example, during summer season when demand is highest, raise the
rates which would provide economic incentives to reduce water consumption (and the associated
wastewater generation).
3.2.3.2 LAND USE MANAGEMENT AND ZONING
Land use management and zoning is important as it can dictate the quantity of future flows that
needs to be addressed by the wastewater plan. This is important as the proposed nitrogen
removal percentages required in the watershed is the percentage of existing flows that needs to
be removed. It is assumed that, 100% of all future flows must also be removed as well, which
can be significant. Additionally, many communities have used the on-site wastewater restriction
and rules as default zoning and growth regulations/restrictions; however, these are no longer
applicable if sewers are provided to an area. Massachusetts State Sanitary Code, Title 5 (310
CMR 15.00) establishes maximum onsite flows based on residential bedroom count (110
gpd/bedroom), and different kinds of commercial uses. Title 5 also sets flow criteria for
nitrogen-sensitive areas, limiting flow to 440 gallons per day per acre or four bedrooms on a one-
Town of Barnstable 3-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
acre lot. So, land use management and zoning needs to be considered in wastewater planning
from two perspectives. Those two perspectives are:
1. Areas that are already developed, and which will now have sewers, will no longer have
the check on growth that was provided by on-site system, and Title 5 regulations.
2. Areas that are not yet developed, where the Town does not want growth and wants to
limit nutrient impact, can be zoned in such a way as to discourage that growth from
occurring in the first place. This will prevent the need to provide future wastewater
solutions and reduce total scope and cost of the Town’s plan.
As such, the community may wish to install a variety of regulatory and land use planning tools to
manage growth in the absence of Title 5. These include building regulations, zoning changes
that direct growth to specific areas, and providing improved wastewater treatment methods when
dealing with non-conformities. They also can include regulations that stipulate the amount of
nutrients and flow allowed by on-site septic systems. Prudent use of these tools can help ensure
that TMDLs can be met now and in the future, that sewer capacity is efficiently directed to those
areas where greater intensity of land use is desirable, and that natural resource areas are
protected.
3.2.3.3 FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT
By many accords, the second largest controllable nitrogen source impacting our environment is
from the fertilizer used on lawns, golf courses, and recreational areas. The Massachusetts
Estuaries Project estimated about 10% of the nitrogen harming our estuaries comes from
fertilizer. To address this issue the Town of Barnstable implemented its own fertilizer control
regulations. Chapter 78, of the Town Code, is titled Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Control, outlines those regulations (see Appendix PP). The enforcement responsibility for this
falls to the Town's Board of Health, through its Director of Public Health, with the exception of
§ 78-5B(4) and (8), which will be enforced by the Town's Conservation Commission.
3.2.3.4 SEPTIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
The Town should continue to encourage proper septic system maintenance with regard to
septage pumping. While proper septage management will not reduce the nitrogen or phosphorus
load to the watershed, it will preserve the life of an existing Title 5 system. This measure should
be encouraged for all properties which continue to utilize on-site systems.
Town of Barnstable 4-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
4 FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE
RECOMMENDED PLAN
As discussed in the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP), GUIDE TO
COMPREHENSIVE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANNING, released in January
1996, “The comprehensive wastewater management planning process is the process whereby
current and future wastewater needs are evaluated, wastewater management alternatives are
developed which will meet these needs, and a final plan is chosen through careful comparison
and evaluation of the alternatives. The process must include the necessary steps in ensuring that
the planning effort results in the most cost effective, environmentally sound wastewater
management plan.” This section will describe how the Town of Barnstable developed its plan.
4.1 WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (WRAC), AND
THE PLANNING PROCESS
As was previously discussed, the plan, which is documented in this report, was created by the
Town’s Town Council appointed Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC), the
Department of Public Works (DPW), and other Town staff members. WRAC members
included:
Councilor Frederick Chirigotis
Councilor John Norman
Councilor John Flores
Lindsey Counsell (served as the Committee Chair)
Michael Moynihan (served as the Committee Vice Chair)
Phillip Boudreau
Casey Dannhauser
Fred Dempsey
Ed Eichner
Farley Lewis
George Zoto
The WRAC’s work, and the subsequent planning efforts, was supported by a number of DPW
and Town staff members. Those included:
Mark Ells, Town Manager
Andrew Clyburn, P.E., Assistant Town Manager
Daniel Santos, P.E., DPW Director
Town of Barnstable 4-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Mark Milne, Finance Director
Elizabeth Jenkins, Planning and Development Director
Rob Steen, P.E., DPW Assistant Director
Griffin Beaudoin, P.E., Town Engineer
Amanda Ruggiero, P.E., Assistant Town Engineer
Andrew Boule, Water Pollution Control Supervisor
Matthew Sumner, Engineering Records and Asset Manager
Miroslav Jakubicka, Engineering Designer
Dale Saad, Ph.D., Senior Project Manager – Special Projects
Casey Scrima, Engineering Aide I
Cynthia Lovell, Administrator to the Town Council
Jim Benoit, GIS Manager
A number of guiding principles were utilized to steer the planning process. They included the
following.
The plan should be Town-wide and address all the categories of wastewater needs that
are listed below. However, regulatory requirements (TMDLs) for nitrogen removal took
priority.
• Sanitary Needs
• Convenience and Aesthetics
• Protecting Groundwater and Water Supplies
• Protecting Surface Waters
• Enabling Sustainable Economic Growth
Previous wastewater planning efforts, where applicable, should be used to inform the
plan.
The Cape Cod Commission 208 plan was a valuable resource for planning. It identified
the portion of a watershed’s nitrogen removal that was the Town’s responsibility; and
Section 4 (of the 208 Plan) identified potential treatment technologies and their
associated removal percentages.
The existing Water Pollution Control Facility, and collection system technologies, should
be leveraged to the fullest extent possible.
Regional solutions and potentially “nitrogen trading” could have benefits and should be
fully explored and considered.
New effluent disposal should not occur in Zone IIs; and where possible, it should occur
outside of nitrogen sensitive watersheds.
Appropriate phasing of the plan should facilitate adaptive management, sound fiscal
policy, and allow for future technology/regulatory changes to be incorporated into the
plan as they are encountered
Town of Barnstable 4-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
The plan should consider all types of solutions: Traditional (sewers, etc.), Nontraditional
(UD toilets, fertilizer plans, aquaculture, dredging, etc.), and Management (Zoning, etc.).
• All regulatory requirements would be initially addressed via traditional
technologies. However, nontraditional solutions should be incorporated into the
initial phase of the plan, monitored, and, if effective, used to remove traditional
approaches in the associated watershed in later phases of the plan.
• Management approach (zoning, etc.) would be considered for future
growth/buildout for residential properties.
The WRAC met at least monthly, and at times more often, from January of 2016 until August
2017 when it presented its findings to the Town Council. During that time the committee:
Assembled the data from previous planning efforts (wastewater and otherwise) and
other viable sources.
Identified “holes” in this data, and then set about addressing those data gaps.
Created a GIS-based tool, that allowed the WRAC and DPW to evaluate on a lot-by-
lot basis:
Poor sanitary conditions and public health issues, such as
bad soils/high groundwater,
effluent surfacing over leaching field,
inadequate set-back from private wells/property lines,
direct discharge of sanitary wastewater to a water body,
Water Supply Protection issues: and identify impaired or endangered wells and
the sources of that impairment;
Properties/areas that were causing nutrient enrichment in surface waters (both
marine estuaries and freshwater ponds).
Convenience and aesthetic issues including needing mounded septic systems,
septic systems located in the flood mapping velocity zones, systems that
require excessive pumping, or are in areas that where it is very expensive to
install on-site wastewater solutions; and
Areas where economic development was desired, yet difficult due to the lack of
good, viable, wastewater options.
Utilized the GIS-based tool to understand the various wastewater needs and
requirements, and devise solutions for those needs.
Reviewed the CCC 208 Plan.
Met with regulators from both the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and
Cape Cod Commission.
Facilitated the meeting of Town staff with adjoining towns’ staffs to find efficiencies
and areas where common solutions could be used to address regional wastewater
needs.
Town of Barnstable 4-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Conducted public meetings, had staff create public outreach programs utilizing the
Town’s local access television station, and did public outreach meetings with the
village associations that requested them.
Complied with the Cape Cod Commission’s 208 Plan process, including the
submission of “Bookends” Plan and a “Hybrid” Plan.
Presented its recommended plan to the Town Council at which point the WRAC was
disbanded.
After the presentation to Town Council in August of 2017, the plan continued to evolve. Three
major events affected this evolution:
1. Town Council wanted to proceed with plan execution in areas that made sense and that
could be considered traditional sewer expansion (that were adjacent to the existing
collection system), but that also would start to address the nitrogen issues in our
embayments. As a result three projects were submitted to Town Council as Capital
Improvement Projects (CIPs). Town Council approved those projects for design. They
are currently on-going. These are discussed in Section 2.3.3.
2. Vineyard Wind came to an agreement with the Town to land its power cables in
Barnstable, and convey them through Barnstable roads. This presented an opportunity to
leverage their road work and have sewer installed at the same time at a lower cost than
would occur otherwise. As a result, some potential projects were pulled forward on the
timeline.
3. Treatment and Effluent disposal at Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) WWTF. This was an
opportunity that needed to be explored (see Section 2.3.1.3 and Appendices KK to NN).
During the winter of 2018/2019 Barnstable joined the four upper Cape Towns of
Mashpee, Falmouth, Sandwich, and Bourne in their pursuit of the wastewater assets on
the JBCC. Utilizing JBCC would allow the Town to address more thoroughly the
wastewater challenges in its western portion and possibly provide needed effluent
disposal for other portions of the Town as well.
The plan is discussed in detail in Section 5, however, as is described above, it is continuing to
evolve as more information comes available, and lessons are learned from earlier planning
efforts.
4.2 APPROACH TO NON-TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS
Using non-traditional approaches in wastewater planning has been difficult due to problems with
quantifying their effect on nitrogen, gaining DEP approval for credit of the amount of nitrogen
removal, and then documenting the effect once the approach has been installed (some items like
fertilizer control are difficult to directly measure). To avoid all these issues, the Town made the
decision to approach non-traditional solutions slightly differently. Rather than predicating the
Town of Barnstable 4-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
plan on them and having to ask for credit for these approaches up front, the Town instead
decided to create a three 10-year phased plan that would address nitrogen requirements with
traditional solutions. However, it would also, in the first phase of the plan, install non-traditional
solutions “at risk” (see Marstons Mills River discussion). The Town would then monitor the
performance/results of those solutions over a 5-10 year period, thus establishing their benefit.
With that benefit firmly established, the Town would ask DEP for relief from that amount of
traditional nitrogen removal (sewers) contained in the later phases of the plan.
4.3 PUBLIC CONSULTATION
Public consultation for this plan is a continuing activity. The development of the CWMP was a
public process. The WRAC was formed from representatives of the community, the meetings
were posted and open to the public, and the meetings were broadcast on the Town’s government
access channel and available through video on Demand. The Town Manager and DPW Director
also presented progress on the plan, and then the plan itself, to the Town Council (also broadcast
on the Town’s government access channel and available through video on Demand) regularly.
Toward the end of the planning process those updates became monthly. The Town’s
government access channel and available through Video on Demand also conducted interviews
for broadcast from participants in the wastewater planning process, and is developing a
standalone documentary broadcast on the plan.
The plan also was, and continues to be, presented to Village Associations, boards, and civic
groups that request the presentation. As of the writing of this document, Cotuit Village
Association, Marstons Mills Village Association, Greater Hyannis Civic Association, Barnstable
Clean Water Coalition, Lake Wequaquet Association, the DPW Commissioners, and the Board
of Health have all had presentations made to them. Additional groups that will have the plan
presented to them include: Senior Managers Meeting (comprised of Town Departments Division
Heads), the Conservation Commission, the Planning Board, the School Committee, the
Economic Development Committee, and any other organization that requests it. Additionally,
the Town held 4 advertised public presentations of the plan followed by questions and answers
sessions in 4 of the villages in the Town in October of 2019:
October 15, 2019: Barnstable County Complex, Barnstable Village
October 21, 2019: Osterville Village Library, Osterville
October 22, 2019: Barnstable Town Hall, Hyannis
October 28, 2019: Liberty Hall, Marstons Mills
Additionally, the Town of Barnstable is unique in that three of its four public water purveyors
are private entities that are not Town departments (the fourth one is a Town Department). To
ensure appropriate communication with these organizations, the DPW initiated monthly
meetings with the leaders of those organizations, where the plan was presented and discussed.
Town of Barnstable 4-6 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Finally, a website, that will be easily accessible from the Town’s website, is being developed that
will contain not only the plan, but links to the WRAC meetings and various televised
presentations of the plan.
4.4 SHARED WATERSHEDS WITH ADJOINING COMMUNITIES
All but one of the impaired watersheds that Barnstable is responsible for is shared with at least
one neighboring communities. Consequently, the Town needed to work with Mashpee,
Sandwich, and Yarmouth in addressing the needs in these watersheds. As previously mentioned,
one of the great benefits of the 208 plan was it apportioned the nitrogen removal requirements
for a watershed between the communities that shared said watershed. This gave each community
a clear understanding of their responsibility in the matter. What remained to be discussed
between the communities was if there were collaborative approaches to the problem that would
be more efficient than each community addressing it alone.
The Barnstable DPW met with each of the aforementioned community’s wastewater planning
teams multiple times. The solutions discussed with each were unique to that relationship, but the
acknowledgement of a common problem was universal. Each is briefly synopsized below.
4.4.1 SANDWICH
Barnstable shares the watersheds of Three Bays, Popponesset Bay, and a small sliver of
Barnstable Harbor with Sandwich. Joint items that were pursued included:
Popponesset Bay IMA - The Town engaged with the towns of Sandwich and Mashpee in
developing an inter-municipal agreement (IMA) regarding nutrient management in
Popponesset Bay. As discussed in Section 2.3.1.1, the IMA provides a framework for
collaboration by establishing a working group to develop an application for a Watershed
Permit for Popponesset Bay, a formula for allocation of responsibility, establishing a
“lead municipality” to serve as fiscal agent for common and agreed upon expenses (in
this case, Mashpee) and the mutual assurance that each town will take affirmative steps
toward water quality improvement.
Three Bays Watershed – Coordination meetings and discussions were held with
Sandwich. Each community is addressing its respective need for this watershed via their
own CWMP. However, collaboration via the JBCC work may modify this approach.
JBCC - The four upper cape towns (Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich) had
been investigating the possibility of making the WWTF on JBCC a regional facility for
over a decade. During the winter of 2018/2019 Barnstable was invited to join the four
towns in that effort. Barnstable agreed to join, and immediately contracted with a
consultant to help understand the issues, opportunities, and challenges associated with
Town of Barnstable 4-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
managing and operating the JBCC facility. The results of the consultant’s efforts can be
found in Appendices KK to LL.
4.4.2 MASHPEE
Barnstable shares the Popponesset Bay watershed with Mashpee:
Popponesset Bay IMA - The Town engaged with the towns of Sandwich and Mashpee in
developing an inter-municipal agreement (IMA) regarding nutrient management in
Popponesset Bay. As discussed in Section 2.3.1.1, the IMA provides a framework for
collaboration by establishing a working group to develop an application for a Watershed
Permit for Popponesset Bay, a formula for allocation of responsibility, establishing a
“lead municipality” to serve as fiscal agent for common and agreed upon expenses (in
this case, Mashpee) and the mutual assurance that each town will take affirmative steps
toward water quality improvement.
JBCC - The four upper cape towns (Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich) had
been investigating the possibility of making the WWTF on JBCC a regional facility for
over a decade. During the winter of 2018/2019 Barnstable was invited to join the four
towns in that effort. Barnstable agreed to join, and immediately contracted with a
consultant to help understand the issues, opportunities, and challenges associated with
managing and operating the JBCC facility. The results of the consultant’s efforts can be
found in Appendices KK to LL.
4.4.3 YARMOUTH
Barnstable shares the Lewis Bay and Barnstable Harbor watersheds with Yarmouth:
Treatment and disposal exchange – The towns share the Lewis Bay watershed and have
begun discussions to see if shared wastewater treatment and effluent recharge between
the towns was a viable and efficient solution. Talks were initiated and a study was
conducted to better understand the opportunities related to having an exchange with
Yarmouth. The basis of that exchange would be that Yarmouth would send its collected
sewage to Barnstable for treatment, and Barnstable would send that effluent, plus
additional effluent back to Yarmouth for disposal. The results of the study can be found
in Appendix JJ. Those talks were still underway as of the writing of this plan.
4.5 MAPPING TOOLS
As discussed earlier, to help visualize wastewater needs, the Town created a GIS-based tool,
which allowed the WRAC and DPW to evaluate the needs on a lot-by-lot basis. The tools
captured issues such as:
Poor sanitary conditions and public health issues, such as:
Town of Barnstable 4-8 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Poor soils/high groundwater,
Effluent surfacing over leaching field,
Non-conforming lots, and septic systems with variances,
Inadequate setback from private wells/property lines,
Direct discharge of sanitary wastewater to a water body;
Water Supply Protection issues, and identify impaired or endangered wells and the
sources of that impairment that are likely impacting them;
Properties/areas that were causing nutrient enrichment in surface waters (both marine
estuaries and freshwater ponds);
Convenience and aesthetic issues including needing mounded septic systems, septic
systems located in the FEMA mapping velocity zones, systems that require excessive
pumping, or are in areas where it is very expensive to install on-site wastewater
solutions; and
Areas where economic development was desired, yet difficult due to the lack of viable
wastewater options.
In addition, the tool quantified wastewater flow and nitrogen generation for every parcel in town
which allowed Town staff to quantify nitrogen removal values while developing the sewer
expansion plan to ensure they were meeting the projected removal requirements of the MEP
models. To accomplish this, water data from 2011 to 2016 was gathered and a 5 year average,
daily water use for all parcels in town was calculated. Projected daily wastewater flow was
calculated assuming 90% of the water use becomes wastewater, similar to the MEP models.
Nitrogen was then calculated assuming a standard Title 5 septic system Total N concentration of
26.25 mg/L, similar to the MEP models.
The tool proved to be extremely useful, and allowed team members to understand and visualize
the various wastewater needs and requirements, and devise smart and efficient solutions for those
needs.
Town of Barnstable 5-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5 RECOMMENDED PLAN
The following sections present the Town’s recommended plan.
5.1.1 PHASING
The key component of the Town of Barnstable’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
(CWMP) is an aggressive 30-year plan focused on traditional solutions that will be performed in
three 10-year phases. The plan has been designed to address multiple wastewater needs of the
community, specifically: nutrient removal, pond protection, drinking water protection, economic
development and other wastewater concerns. In addition to the traditional solutions, the Town
simultaneously will be pursuing non-traditional approaches to nutrient reduction, which was
discussed in Section 2.3.2 and Section 3.2.2.
The phases of the plan were developed to accomplish the following goals:
5.1.2 PHASE 1
Construction of sewer infrastructure along Route 28 to address nutrient related issues
within the Three Bays watershed. The Route 28 sewer infrastructure will be the major
infrastructure to convey flow from westerly portions of the Town to the BWPCF.
Sewer expansion adjacent to Wequaquet Lake, Bearses Pond, Shallow Pond, Long Pond,
Red Lily Pond, Lake Elizabeth, and Filenes Pond to address deteriorating water quality.
Sewer expansion to accommodate identified economic development areas including
along the Route 28, Old Yarmouth Road, Attuck’s Lane/Route 132, Kidd’s Hill,
Independence Park, and Hyannis Harbor.
Sewer expansion within the flood zones in the Craigville and Long Beach region to
address septic system issues in the area.
Sewer expansion adjacent to Prince Cove and Warren’s Cove (most impaired
waterbodies in the Three Bays Watershed) and the Marstons Mills River.
Modifications at BWPCF including upgraded/expanded aeration, denitrification
upgrades, and upgrades to solids handling.
Identification, permitting and construction of new effluent disposal site(s).
Continuing to take the lead in pursuit of a regional sewer option at JBCC.
Completion of Cotuit Cut/Sampson’s Island dredging project to improve the flushing of
Cotuit Bay.
Continued pursuit, construction and monitoring of non-traditional approaches along the
Marstons Mills River System (Mill Pond Dredging, green stormwater projects, etc.).
Town of Barnstable 5-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Continued embayment monitoring.
5.1.3 PHASE 2
Continued westerly sewer expansion along Route 28.
Continued sewer expansion within the Centerville River Watershed, specifically the
Centerville River East subwatershed and expansion adjacent to Bumps River.
Sewer expansion into the Nye’s Neck region to complete sewer expansion surrounding
all of Wequaquet Lake.
Sewer Expansion to areas south of Craigville Beach Road east of Covell’s Beach.
Sewer expansion into the Millway subwatershed (the one sub-watershed within the
Barnstable Harbor Watershed requiring septic load removal per the MEP report).
Sewer expansion within the Lewis Bay Watershed in the General Patton area and
northern Hyannis Port.
Continued sewer expansion within the Three Bays Watershed, directly adjacent to sub-
embayments requiring septic load removal (Prince Cove and North Bay), to address
areas with shortest groundwater travel times.
Continued monitoring and analysis of non-traditional projects in the Three Bays
Watershed.
o During this phase, it is the Town’s intention to present the monitoring and
analysis of the non-traditional approaches to the regulatory agencies.
o If, as anticipated, the analysis of the monitoring program determines that the non-
traditional approaches have improved conditions within the Three Bays
Watershed, the Town would then enter discussions with regulatory agencies to
pursue non-traditional “credits” in an effort to minimize the required sewer
expansion proposed in Phase 3.
The Town is not proposing any non-traditional “credits” at this time and
has designed the sewer expansion plan to achieve the required septic load
removals by traditional approaches only.
Continued embayment monitoring.
5.1.4 PHASE 3
Continued sewer expansion into the northerly portion of the Three Bays Watershed.
Continued sewer expansion within the Lewis Bay/Halls Creek Watershed.
Continued monitoring and analysis of non-traditional projects and follow-up with
regulatory agencies.
Continued embayment monitoring.
Town of Barnstable 5-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 5-1: Sewer Expansion Plan - Phasing Statistics
Phase 1
(0-10 Years)
Phase 2
(10-20 Years)
Phase 3
(20-30 Years) Total
WW Captured (gpd) 782,000 653,000 335,000 1,770,000
Load N Removed (kg/day) 78 65 33 176
Number of Parcels Affected 4,610 3,130 2,100 9,870
Approximate Road Miles 90 60 40 190
% of N Removed by Plan 44% 37% 19% 100%
5.1.5 STAGES
In addition to the three phases, the sewer expansion plan also includes three separate “stages” of
sewer expansion. The three stages are located in the Village of Cotuit and are focused on the
Popponesset Bay Watershed and the Cotuit Bay subwatershed of the Three Bays Watershed.
The term “stages” was used for these sewer expansion areas because they do not have a
determined schedule as it is assumed that these areas would be served by an undermined western
treatment and disposal solution to accommodate the sewer expansion. The original plan
developed by the WRAC recommended approaching these areas via an inter-municipal
agreement (IMA) with Mashpee and Sandwich, which was then executed between the
communities. However, in order to address water quality concerns in Shoestring Bay and Cotuit
Bay that would not be addressed via nitrogen sharing in an IMA, there is a desire for traditional
wastewater solution in these areas. If a westerly solution becomes a reality, the Town intends to
pursue sewer expansion the areas identified in the stages.
Table 5-2: Sewer Expansion Plan - Staging Statistics
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Total
WW Captured (gpd) 37,200 84,500 22,800 144,500
Load N Removed (kg/day) 4 8 2 14
Number of Parcels Affected 250 480 160 890
Approximate Road Miles 6 9 3 18
Nitrogen removal data reported above in Table 5-1 and Table 5-2 is from the Town of
Barnstable’s wastewater planning GIS tool and reflects calculated existing un-attenuated
nitrogen loading based upon existing water use data.
Town of Barnstable 5-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.1.6 PLAN SUMMARY
The Town has developed a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan which will address the
multiple wastewater needs of the Town. The Plan is primarily focused on an aggressive sewer
expansion program which will be completed in three (3), 10-year phases, for a total of a 30 years
program. The sewer expansion program also includes 3 “stages” as discussed in Section 5.1.5.
In addition to the sewer expansion program, the CWMP will incorporate non-traditional projects
where strategically appropriate. Assuming 20-year construction bonds, the program is
envisioned to be a 50-year financial program. As such, the planning horizon for this project is 50
years, or 2070.
The following table summarizes the anticipated flows within the planning horizon:
Table 5-3: Sewer Expansion Plan Summary
Source Flow (gpd)1
Existing Flow to BWPCF 1,670,000
Phase 1-3 1,770,000
Stages 1-3 144,500
Residential Buildout 211,300
Commercial Buildout 565,250
Total 4,361,050
1. Flows are average daily flows
Town of Barnstable 5-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 5-1: Sewer Expansion Phasing Plan
Town of Barnstable 5-6 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2 APPROACH BY WATERSHED
The plan has been developed utilizing a watershed-b y-watershed approach to ensure the
regulatory requirements of each watershed are met. The following sections will describe the
needs and proposed solutions of each of the watershed located in the Town of Barnstable. All
nitrogen data provided in this section were calculated using the Town’s GIS tool and represent
un-attenuated nitrogen totals.
5.2.1 LEWIS BAY WATERSHED
The Lewis Bay Embayment System is a complex estuary located in the Towns of Barnstable and
Yarmouth with a southern shore bounded by Nantucket Sound. It is comprised of several
primary segments that include Hyannis Inner Harbor, Mill Creek, Snow’s Creek and Stewart’s
Creek. For a detailed description of the embayment system, refer to the 2006 MEP Report for the
Lewis Bay Embayment (Appendix AA).
The Lewis Bay Watershed is the contributing area for the Lewis Bay Embayment System. The
Lewis Bay Watershed is also located between the Towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth (see
Figure 5-2). Within the watershed there are 71 identified surface waters including 8 named
freshwater ponds and 6 significant freshwater stream outlets (Halls Creek, Stewarts Creek,
Snow’s Creek, Hospital Bog, Mill Pond and Chase Brook). Halls Creek Watershed is discussed
separately in Section 5.2.2. There are 22 public drinking water wells located within the
watershed, 10 of which are located in Barnstable (8 operated by Hyannis Water District, 2
operated by Barnstable Water District.) The Town of Barnstable Water Pollution Control Facility
(BWPCF) is located within the watershed. Additionally, the BWPCF treats and discharges
wastewater from portions of Hyannis Village and Barnstable Village. The BWPCF is permitted
for maximum daily flow treatment of 4.2 MGD and disposal of 2.7 MGD and an annual mass
nitrogen load limit of 49,315 pounds per year.
5.2.1.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Lewis Bay Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, water supply
protection, flood zone considerations, and economic development, via sewer expansion within
the Lewis Bay Watershed.
Town of Barnstable 5-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.1.1.1 Nutrient Removal
The 2008 MEP technical report for Lewis Bay indicates that the Lewis Bay system exceeds its
critical threshold for nitrogen, resulting in impaired water quality. Based upon the findings of
the MEP technical report, a TMDL for nitrogen has been developed and approved.
Barnstable has already taken significant action to address nitrogen removal within the watershed
via the Stewart’s Creek Sewer Expansion project (refer to Section 2.3.3.1) which connected 288
of residences to municipal sewer, resulting in a reduction of approximately 1.4 kg/day-N of un-
attenuated septic load.
The Town’s wastewater plan has been designed to exceed the existing septic load removals
suggested in the 2008 MEP Report’s threshold loading scenarios using traditional sewers. The
Town also intends to pursue the feasibility in reducing nitrogen concentrations in the effluent of
BWPCF by constructing denitrification filters.
The Town retained SMAST to re-model the watershed under a scenario that combines the
proposed Town of Barnstable and Town of Yarmouth’s wastewater plans to confirm that the
TMDL will be met by the implementation of the two community’s plans. The updated SMAST
model which indicates that the TMDL will be met under this scenario (refer to Appendix OO).
The Town of Barnstable anticipates that the two communities will pursue a watershed permit for
the Lewis Bay Watershed.
5.2.1.1.2 Wastewater Needs (Other Needs)
Title 5 Issues
Integral to the planning process was the Town’s development of a wastewater planning GIS tool
which allowed Town staff to spatially map traditional Title 5 concerns such as small lot size,
depth to groundwater, existing septic variances, existing known failed septic systems, and
systems within Zone IIs. Parcels with area less than 0.25 acres were flagged because they were
considered difficult to site a traditional septic system, likely to need septic variances, and
increased density leading to increased nutrient loading. Parcels with an average depth of
groundwater of less than four feet were flagged as likely to require raised systems which are
costly and less desirable for community aesthetics. Existing septic variances and existing known
failed septic systems were also mapped.
The tool allows the Town to overlay these layers to identify the “hot-spots” for traditional Title 5
concerns. These areas were then incorporated into the plan where practical. Many of these “hot-
spots” overlaid other needs such as nutrients and pond protection. The Plan for the Lewis Bay
Town of Barnstable 5-8 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Watershed significantly address traditional Title 5 concerns as shown in the data presented below
which was calculated using the Town’s wastewater planning GIS tool (this data does not account
for attenuated nitrogen data):
Total parcels within the Town of Barnstable within the Lewis Bay Watershed = 5,220
Total parcels connected to existing municipal sewer = 2,256 (43%)
Parcels with total area less than 0.25 acres = 2,315 (44%)
o 1,119 (48%) already served by municipal sewer
o 329 (14%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 1,448 (62%)
Parcels with average depth to groundwater less than four feet = 158 (3%)
o 59 (37%) already served by municipal sewer
o 20 (13%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 79 (50%)
Parcels with septic system variances = 27 (0.5%)
o 3 (11%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with known failed septic systems = 4 (0.08%)
o 1 (25%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels located within a Zone II = 2,498 (48%)
o 842 (34%) already served by municipal sewer
o 265 (11%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 1,107 (44%)
Please note that Hall’s Creek Watershed is not included in this data. Refer to Section 5.2.2 for
Hall’s Creek Watershed data.
Flood Zones
The majority of the parcels within flood zones in the Lewis Bay Watershed in the Town of
Barnstable are already served by municipal sewer.
Total parcels within the Lewis Bay Watershed = 5,220
Parcels within FEMA mapped 100-year flood zone (AE/AO) or velocity zone (VE) =
601
o 430 (71%) already served by municipal sewer
o 23 (4%) that will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 453 (75%)
Town of Barnstable 5-9 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.1.1.3 Drinking Water Supply Protection and Contaminants of Emerging Concern
(CEC’s)
The Hyannis Water System (HWS) supplies drinking water to the majority of the parcels within
the Lewis Bay Watershed. In recent years, the HWS has had significant issues with CEC’s,
specifically PFOS and 1,4-dioxane. The Town has been proactive in addressing this issue by
investing significant capital to update treatment facilities for the HWS, specifically at the Mary
Dunn Wells (activated carbon filters) and the Maher Wells (construction of $12 million
treatment plant to treat for PFOS, 1,4 dioxane, iron, and manganese).
The Plan continues the effort of protection of the drinking waters source. The sewer expansion
will connect 265 properties that are located within delineated Zone IIs to municipal sewer. Of
particular concern is the “Old Yarmouth Road” project area which is directly adjacent to and up-
gradient from the Maher wellfield. The existing land use within this area is predominantly
commercial. The majority of the commercial uses are motor vehicle dealerships and repair
facilities which are land uses susceptible to hazardous material release. The proposed Old
Yarmouth Road Sewer Expansion project will connect the 131 properties within the project area
to municipal sewer, thus reducing the risk of contamination from the commercial uses existing in
this area.
5.2.1.1.4 Pond Protection
The Town’s wastewater planning has included detailed studies of ponds 3 acres or larger
throughout the Town. Through those studies, there is extensive water data for 9 ponds in the
Lewis Bay Watershed. Pond classification of these ponds is shown in Table 5-4 and Table 5-5.
Table 5-4: Lewis Bay Watershed Pond Classification 2009
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6
Oligotrophic
Mary Dunn Pond
Campground Pond
Mesotrophic
Aunt Betty’s Pond
Fawcett’s
Eutrophic
Hypereutrophic School House
Town of Barnstable 5-10 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 5-5: Lewis Bay Watershed Pond Classification 2017
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Fawcett’s Pond
Eutrophic
Lamson Pond
Israels Pond
Flintrock Pond
Fresh Hole Pond
Hypereutrophic
Five ponds within the watershed have been identified as impaired; Lamson Pond, Israels Pond,
Fresh Hole Pond, Flintrock Pond, and Schoolhouse Pond. Sewer expansion adjacent to the
following ponds for protection from nutrients from septic systems has been proposed.
5.2.1.1.5 Economic Development
The Town’s Planning and Development Department (P&D) identified a number of areas within
the Lewis Bay Watershed as needs areas for sewer expansion to promote economic development.
These areas include:
The “Old Yarmouth Road Sewer Expansion” project area located north of Route 28, east
of Yarmouth Road and west of the Town Line.
Parcels not served by municipal sewer in the area of Hyannis Harbor.
Properties in the “Independence Park” area that have not been connected to municipal
sewer to date or have not been developed to date.
5.2.1.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The plan addresses the needs areas using the following techniques:
Sewer Expansion
o 2,256 of the 5,220 parcels (43%) in the watershed within the Town of Barnstable
are already connected to municipal sewer.
o 241 parcels (5%) in the watershed within the Town of Barnstable were included
in the Stewart’s Creek Sewer Expansion Project (1.4 kg/day–N, un-attenuated).
Town of Barnstable 5-11 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
o 840 parcels (16%) in the watershed are included in the proposed sewer expansion
plan (14.4 kg/day-N, un-attenuated).
o Total proposed removal of (15.8 kg/day-N, un-attenuated, from watershed within
the Town of Barnstable from proposed sewer expansion (including Stewart’s
Creek Sewer Expansion Project).
BWPCF Upgrades
o Evaluate, design and construct denitrification upgrades to decrease BWPCF total
nitrogen (TN) from an existing average of 6 mg/L to a proposed average of 3
mg/L or lower.
At the BWPCF existing annual average daily flow of 1.67 MGD, 37.9
kg/day-N is discharge to the watershed.
A 50% reduction in the average effluent discharge TN concentration
would remove 18.9 kg/day-N of existing (un-attenuated) nitrogen load
from the watershed (approximately 35% of the total attenuated load to be
removed per the Cape Cod Commission 208 Watershed Report).
o Seek effluent discharge sites to accommodate additional flow being generated by
the sewer expansion connections being treated at BWPCF.
Stormwater upgrades
o The Town’s MS4 program will identify and provide solutions to existing
stormwater outfalls.
59 of the Town’s 207 identified stormwater outfalls are located in the
Lewis Bay Watershed.
o The Town’s Public Road program invests on average $750,000 a year in
stormwater improvements in the Town’s public roads. These improvements
generally include replacement of failed catch basins and leaching structures.
Fertilizer Regulation
o In 2014 the Town adopted a Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control
Regulation (see Appendix PP). The regulation includes the following:
Provides Best Management Practices and performance standards for
noncertified fertilizer applicators.
Outlines education, certification, enforcement and penalties.
Watershed Permit
o Work with the Town of Yarmouth to seek a Watershed Permit for the Lewis Bay
Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-12 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.1.3 FUTURE CONDITIONS
The plan accommodates future growth conditions as follows:
Watershed is already densely developed.
Hyannis Village is the main commercial center for Cape Cod. A Growth Incentive Zone
(GIZ) has been established within Downtown Hyannis to promote re-development within
the area.
o The GIZ has existing sewer infrastructure, much of which dates back to the
1930s.
Studies are on-going (South Street, Barnstable Road, SewerCAD, etc.) to
study the existing sewer collection system and determine where upgrades
may be necessary to accommodate projected development within the GIZ.
Projects such as the Infiltration and Inflow Evaluation, Sewer System
Evaluation Survey, and Pleasant Street Re-Lining project have addressed
the aging infrastructure.
Projected growth within the watershed is anticipated in areas that are either already
served by municipal sewer or are included in the sewer expansion plan.
o The sewer expansion plan has been designed to remove septic load than above
and beyond what modeling required for existing conditions in order to
accommodate projected growth within the watershed.
o Sewer expansion projects will be designed to accommodate growth within the
expansion areas (increased pipe sizes, appropriate pump station sizing, etc.).
Adaptive management and monitoring
o The Town will continue to monitor the embayment, review the Plan and provide
formal updates as required.
o Refer to Section 6.4 for the Adaptive Management Plan and Section 6.3 for the
Monitoring Plan.
Town of Barnstable 5-13 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-2: Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-14 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-3: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Load Removal in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-15 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-4: MEP-modeled Future Septic Load Removal in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-16 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-5: Impaired Ponds in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-17 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-6: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-18 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-7: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-19 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-8: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-20 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-9: Public Water Supply Wells in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-21 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-10: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-22 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-11: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-23 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-12: Needs Areas in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-24 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-13: Sewer Expansion Plan in Lewis Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-25 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.2 HALLS CREEK WATERSHED
The Halls Creek system is located within the Town of Barnstable with a southern shore bounded
by Nantucket Sound. The Halls Creek estuary system is located to the west of the Lewis Bay
embayment system. The 2008 Lewis Bay Embayment System MEP Report analyzes the Halls
Creek system the nutrient capacity of the Halls Creek System. The estuarine system is separated
from Nantucket Sound by Squaw Island and the system exchanges tidal water with Nantucket
Sound through a single inlet. For a detailed description of the embayment system, refer to the
2008 MEP Report for the Lewis Bay Embayment System (Appendix AA).
The source water for the Halls Creek system is the Halls Creek Watershed. The Halls Creek
Watershed is located entirely within the Town of Barnstable (see Figure 5-14). Within the
watershed there are 4 named freshwater ponds (Marchant Pond, Simmons Pond, Ben’s Pond, and
Dunn’s Pond). The Hyannis Water District operates three public drinking water wells that are
located within the watershed and Centerville Osterville Marstons Mills (COMM) Water District
operates one public drinking water well located on the western border of the watershed.
A large section of the upper reaches of the watershed is already served by municipal sewer. The
2008 MEP Model has shown that the Halls Creek system has an assimilative capacity to accept
additional nitrogen, therefore it has not considered a needs area for nitrogen removal. As a result,
significant municipal sewer extensions in the watershed are not proposed. However, there is one
residential neighborhood located in the southwestern corner of the watershed that has been
included in the sewer expansion plan to address other traditional wastewater needs as described
below.
5.2.2.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Halls Creek Watershed, including pond protection, water supply protection, flood
zone considerations, and economic development, via sewer expansion within the Halls Creek
Watershed.
5.2.2.1.1 Nutrient Removal
The 2008 MEP Model has shown that the Halls Creek system has an assimilative capacity to
accept additional nitrogen, therefore it has not considered a needs area for nitrogen removal. As
a result, significant municipal sewer extensions in the watershed are not proposed to address
nitrogen. A large section of the upper reaches of the watershed is already served by municipal
sewer.
Town of Barnstable 5-26 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.2.1.2 Wastewater Needs (Other Needs)
Title 5 Issues
The plan has been designed to address traditional Title 5 concerns via traditional sewer
expansion within the aforementioned residential neighborhood in the southwestern corner of the
watershed. Utilizing the Town’s wastewater planning GIS tool allowed Town staff to spatially
map traditional Title 5 concerns such as small lot size, depth to groundwater, existing septic
variances, existing known failed septic systems, and systems within Zone IIs. Parcels with area
less than 0.25 acres were flagged because they were considered difficult to site a traditional
septic system, likely to need septic variances, and increased density leading to increased nutrient
loading. Parcels with an average depth of groundwater of less than four feet were flagged as
likely to require raised systems which are costly and less desirable for community aesthetics.
Existing septic variances and existing known failed septic systems were also mapped.
The tool allows the Town to overlay these layers to identify the “hot-spots” for traditional Title 5
concerns. These areas were then incorporated into the plan where practical. Many of these “hot-
spots” overlaid other needs such as nutrients and pond protection. The Plan for the Halls Creek
Watershed addresses traditional Title 5 concerns as shown in the data presented below (this data
does not account for attenuated nitrogen data):
Total parcels within the Halls Creek Watershed = 1,368
Total parcels connected to existing municipal sewer = 329 (24%)
Parcels with total area less than 0.25 acres = 642 (47%)
o 164 (25%) already served by municipal sewer
o 192 (30%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 356 (55%)
Parcels with average depth to groundwater less than four feet = 33 (2%)
o 0 (0%) already served by municipal sewer
o 23 (70%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 23 (70%)
Parcels with septic system variances = 5 (0.4%)
o 3 (60%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels located within a Zone II = 856 (63%)
o 329 (38%) already served by municipal sewer
o 71 (8%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 400 (47%)
Town of Barnstable 5-27 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.2.1.3 Pond Protection
The Town’s wastewater planning has included detailed studies of ponds 3 acres or larger
throughout the Town. Through those studies, there is extensive water data for 3 ponds in the
Halls Creek Watershed. Pond classification of these ponds is shown in Table 5-6 and Table 5-7.
Table 5-6: Halls Creek Watershed Pond Classification 2009
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Eutrophic
Dunn’s Pond
Hypereutrophic
Table 5-7: Halls Creek Watershed Pond Classification 2017
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Ben’s Pond
Eutrophic
Simmons Pond
Hypereutrophic
Two ponds within the watershed have been identified as impaired; Dunn’s Pond and Simmons
Pond.
Town of Barnstable 5-28 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Flood Zones
Low lying areas within the aforementioned residential neighborhood in the southwestern corner
of the watershed adjacent to the Halls Creek estuary system have been identified as needs areas
for sewer expansion due to being within the 100 year floodplain and/or the velocity zone, and
generally having shallow depth to groundwater. As a result of these conditions, traditional Title
5 septic systems are difficult and costly to site in these areas.
Total parcels within the Halls Creek Watershed = 1,368
Parcels within FEMA mapped 100-year flood zone (AE/AO) or velocity zone (VE) =
130
o 0 (0%) already served by municipal sewer
o 92 (71%) that will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 92 (71%)
5.2.2.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The plan addresses the needs areas using the following techniques:
Sewer Expansion
o 329 of the 1,368 parcels (24%) located in the watershed are served by municipal
sewer
o 351 of the 1,368 parcels (26%) located in the watershed in the Town are included
in the sewer expansion plan
Stormwater upgrades
o The Town’s MS4 program will identify and provide solutions to existing
stormwater outfalls.
15 of the Town’s 207 identified stormwater outfalls are located in the
Halls Creek Watershed.
o The Town’s Public Road program invests on average $750,000 a year in
stormwater improvements in the Town’s public roads. These improvements
generally include replacement of failed catch basins and leaching structures.
Fertilizer Regulation
o In 2014 the Town adopted a Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control
Regulation (see Appendix PP). The regulation includes the following:
Provides Best Management Practices and performance standards for
noncertified fertilizer applicators.
Outlines education, certification, enforcement and penalties.
Town of Barnstable 5-29 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.2.3 FUTURE CONDITIONS
The plan accommodates future growth conditions as follows:
The watershed has significant assimilative capacity to accept additional nitrogen.
The majority of the watershed is significantly built-out and there are not significant
development potential areas identified in the watershed.
Adaptive management and monitoring
o The Town will continue to monitor the embayment, review the Plan and provide
formal updates as required.
o Refer to Section 6.4 for the Adaptive Management Plan and Section 6.3 for the
Monitoring Plan.
Town of Barnstable 5-30 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-14: Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-31 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-15: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-32 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-16: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-33 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-17: Impaired Ponds in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-34 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-18: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-35 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-19: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-36 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-20: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-37 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-21: Public Water Supply Wells in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-38 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-22: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-39 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-23: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-40 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-24: Needs Areas in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-41 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-25: Sewer Expansion Plan in Halls Creek Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-42 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.3 CENTERVILLE RIVER WATERSHED
The Centerville River Embayment System is a complex embayment system located in the
southern, central portion of the Town of Barnstable. The embayment has a lone inlet which
connects Centerville Harbor to Nantucket Sound with a number of sub-embayments (East Bay,
Centerville River, Bumps River, Scudder Bay, and Centerville River marshes). For a detailed
description of the embayment system, refer to the 2006 MEP Report for the Centerville River
Embayment (Appendix Y).
The source water for the Centerville River Embayment System is the Centerville River
Watershed. The Centerville River Watershed is approximately 6,739 acres and is located
entirely within the Town of Barnstable (See Figure 5-26). Within the watershed there are 39
identified surface waters including 14 named freshwater ponds (Wequaquet Lake, Bearses Pond,
Shallow Pond, Long Pond, Red Lily Pond, Lake Elizabeth, Filenes Pond, Lumbert Pond, West
Pond, North Pond, Skunknet Pond, Michah Pond, Joshua’s Pond, Shubael Pond) and 4
significant freshwater stream outlets (Skunknett River, Bumps River, Long Pond Stream, Lake
Elizabeth). COMM Water District operates 6 drinking water wells that are located within the
watershed. The Town operates two smaller wastewater treatments facilities within the
Centerville River Watershed; the Marstons Mills School Treatment Plant (permitted for 42,900
GPD) and the Red Lily Pond shared septic system.
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Centerville River Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, flood zone
considerations, and economic development, via sewer expansion into Centerville River
Watershed.
5.2.3.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Centerville River Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, water
supply protection, flood zone considerations, and economic development, via sewer expansion
within the Centerville River Watershed.
5.2.3.1.1 Nutrient Removal
The 2006 MEP technical report for the Centerville River system indicates that the system
exceeds its critical threshold for nitrogen, resulting in impaired water quality. Based upon the
findings of the MEP technical report, a TMDL for nitrogen has been developed and approved.
The Town’s wastewater plan has been designed to exceed the septic load removals suggested in
the 2006 MEP Report’s threshold loading scenarios. Those scenarios modeled an 80% reduction
Town of Barnstable 5-43 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
in septic load (36.75 kg/day-N) within the Centerville River East sub-embayment and no
reduction in septic load in the other sub-embayments within the watershed. This corresponds to
a 34% overall average watershed septic reduction target.
The Town’s wastewater plan includes removal of 86% of the total un-attenuated septic load
within the Centerville River East sub-embayment via proposed sewer connections (2,056
properties within the sub-embayment). As can be seen in Figure 5-37, the majority of the sewer
expansion within the sub-embayment is planned for Phase 1, which will remove 65% of the total
un-attenuated septic load within the sub-embayment.
The proposed additional sewer expansion within the other sub-embayments only further
contributes to the overall septic load removal within the watershed as a whole. The plan will
result in a total un-attenuated septic load reduction across the watershed of 54% (71.6 kg/day N).
Phase 1 of the plan will result in a total un-attenuated septic load reduction within the watershed
of 40% (52.7 kg/day N).
Nitrogen removal data reported above is from the Town of Barnstable’s wastewater planning
GIS tool and reflects calculated existing, un-attenuated nitrogen loads based upon existing water
use data.
5.2.3.1.2 Wastewater Needs (Other Needs)
Title 5 Issues
Integral to the planning process was the Town’s development of a wastewater planning GIS tool
which allowed Town staff to spatially map traditional Title 5 concerns such as small lot size,
depth to groundwater, existing septic variances, existing known failed septic systems, and
systems within Zone IIs. Parcels with area less than 0.25 acres were flagged because of they
were considered difficult to site a traditional septic system, likely to need septic variances, and
increased density leading to increased nutrient loading. Parcels with an average depth of
groundwater of less than four feet were flagged as likely to require raised systems which are
costly and less desirable for community aesthetics. Existing septic variances and existing known
failed septic systems were also mapped.
The tool allows the Town to overlay these layers to identify the “hot-spots” for traditional
sewering solutions. These areas were then incorporated into the plan where practical. Many of
these “hot-spots” overlaid other needs such as nutrients and pond protection. The Plan for the
Centerville River Watershed significantly address traditional Title 5 concerns as shown in the
data presented below which was calculated using the Town’s wastewater planning GIS tool (this
data does not account for attenuated nitrogen data):
Town of Barnstable 5-44 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Total parcels within the Centerville River Watershed = 7998
Parcels with total area less than 0.25 acres = 1,199
o 1,019 (85%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with average depth to groundwater less than four feet = 391
o 336 (86%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with septic system variances = 50
o 42 (84%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with known failed septic systems = 14
o 10 (71%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels located within a Zone II = 3,333
o 1,700 (51%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Flood Zones
Low lying areas to the south of the Centerville River and on the south side of Craigville Beach
Road have been identified as needs areas for sewer expansion due to being within the 100 year
floodplain and/or the velocity zone, and generally having shallow depth to groundwater. As a
result of these conditions, traditional Title 5 septic systems are difficult and costly to site in these
areas. It should be noted that the parcels on the south side of Craigville Beach Road are generally
outside of the Centerville River Watershed, but have been included in this section due to
proximity to the watershed.
Total parcels within the Centerville River Watershed = 7,998
Parcels within 100 year flood plain and/or velocity zone = 822 (10%)
o 652 (79%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o This data does not include the aforementioned parcels on the south side of
Craigville Beach Road that are outside of the watershed.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are increasingly being detected in surface water.
(CECs) are made up of three general groups, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals,
and personal care products. These compounds and potential contaminants are not currently
regulated by the federal government because their toxicity is not well understood. Collecting
wastewater with sewers and treating at a centralized treatment location allows the opportunity to
treat wastewater for CECs as they are better understood and future treatment technologies are
developed.
Town of Barnstable 5-45 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.3.1.3 Pond Protection
The Town’s wastewater planning has included detailed studies of ponds 3 acres or larger
throughout the Town. Through those studies, there is extensive water data for 16 ponds in the
Centerville River Watershed. Pond classification of these ponds is shown in Table 5-8 and Table
5-9.
Table 5-8: Centerville River Watershed Pond classification 2009
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6m
Oligotrophic
Red Lily Pond Joshua’s Pond
Micah’s Pond
Shubael Pond
Mesotrophic
Lumbert Pond
Coleman Pond
Shallow Pond
Bearse Pond
Lake Wequaquet
Eutrophic
Round Pond
Long Pond
Hypereutrophic Little Parker
Table 5-9: Centerville River Watershed Pond classification 2017
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6m
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Flowing Pond
Mill (Filenes) Pond
Weathervane Pond
Coleman Pond
Eutrophic
North Pond
Hypereutrophic
Three ponds within the watershed have been identified as impaired: North Pond, Long Pond, and
Round Pond. Additionally, during the planning process there was significant public interest in
sewer expansion around Lake Wequaquet. Sewer expansion adjacent to the following ponds for
protection from nutrients from septic systems has been proposed: Wequaquet Lake, Bearses
Pond, Shallow Pond, Long Pond, Red Lily Pond, Lake Elizabeth, and Filenes Pond.
Town of Barnstable 5-46 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.3.1.4 Economic Development
Within the Centerville River, the Route 28 corridor has also been identified by the Town as an
area where a traditional solution is desired for economic development. Development within this
corridor has historically been restricted by wastewater requirements (i.e. Title 5) and the Town’s
Salt Water Estuary’s Regulation. The Town’s wastewater plan has included sewer expansion
along the entire Route 28 corridor to accommodate these goals. Sewer expansion is required
within the Route 28 corridor to facilitate the sewer expansion needs of the western portion of the
Town.
5.2.3.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The plan addresses the needs areas using the following techniques:
Sewer Expansion
o 4,434 parcels (55%) in the watershed are included in the sewer expansion plan
3,348 parcels (76%) of which are in Phase 1.
o Removal of 54% (71.6 kg/day N) of the total existing un-attenuated septic load in
the watershed.
Required removal per MEP = 34% (36.745 kg/day N).
Stormwater upgrades
o Stormwater runoff can contain nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants from fertilizers
and pet and yard waste. Storm water will be managed by utilizing best
management practices (BMPs) to mitigate the nutrients, and sediments,
discharged by stormwater to the waterbodies and to their watersheds
o The Town’s MS4 program will identify and provide solutions to existing
stormwater outfalls.
40 of the Town’s 207 identified stormwater outfalls are located in the
Centerville River Watershed.
o The Town’s Public Road program invests on average $750,000 a year in
stormwater improvements in the Town’s public roads. These improvements
generally include replacement of failed catch basins and leaching structures.
Fertilizer Regulation
o In 2014 the Town adopted a Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control
Regulation (see Appendix PP). The regulations includes the following:
Provides Best Management Practices and performance standards for
noncertified fertilizer applicators.
Outlines education, certification, enforcement, and penalties.
Town of Barnstable 5-47 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.3.3 FUTURE CONDITIONS
The plan accommodates future growth conditions as follows:
The majority of the watershed is significantly built-out.
Projected growth within the watershed.
o The projected growth within the watershed is focused on the Route 28 corridor
which will be addressed with traditional solutions (i.e. sewer expansion).
Projected growth in these areas will be considered when sizing sewer
infrastructure (pipes, pump stations, force mains, etc.).
In order to address other needs within the watershed, the sewer expansion plan removes
about 2 times the existing target septic load removal per MEP. This additional 34.8
kg/day N of removal can accommodate significant growth potential within the watershed
while still meeting the nitrogen TMDL.
Adaptive management and monitoring
o The Town will continue to monitor the embayment, review the Plan and provide
formal updates as required.
o Refer to Section 6.4 for the Adaptive Management Plan and Section 6.3 for the
Monitoring Plan.
Town of Barnstable 5-48 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-26: Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-49 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-27: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-50 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-28: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-51 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-29: Impaired Ponds in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-52 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-30: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-53 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-31: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-54 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-32: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-55 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-33: Public Water Supply Wells in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-56 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-34: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-57 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-35: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-58 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-36: Needs Areas in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-59 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-37: Sewer Expansion Plan in Centerville River Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-60 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.4 THREE BAYS WATERSHED
The Three Bays Embayment System is located in the southwestern portion of the Town of
Barnstable. The embayment is a complex estuary with multiple inlets and sub-embayments
(Cotuit Bay, West Bay, North Bay, Prince Cove, Warren’s Cove). The estuary receives tidal
waters from Nantucket Sound into its two large lower basins: Cotuit Bay to the west of Osterville
Grand Island and West Bay to the east of Grand Island. For a detailed description of the
embayment system, refer to the 2006 MEP Report for the Three Bays Embayment (Appendix
W).
The Three Bays Watershed is approximately 6,739 acres and is located almost entirely within the
Town of Barnstable (see Figure 5-38). Within the watershed there are 39 identified surface
waters including 14 named freshwater ponds and 4 significant freshwater stream outlets
(Skunknett River, Bumps River, Long Pond Stream, Lake Elizabeth). Within the watershed,
COMM Water District operates 9 drinking water wells and Cotuit Water District operates 4
drinking water wells. The Town does not operate any wastewater treatments facilities within the
Three Bays Watershed.
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Three Bays Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, traditional
wastewater concerns and economic development, via sewer expansion into Three Bays
Watershed. The Plan also includes non-traditional solutions, which will be installed in the first
phase of the plan. The Town will not ask for credit up front, but will be monitoring the results of
those solutions over 5-10 years, thus establishing their benefit. With that benefit firmly
established, the Town would then ask DEP for relief from that amount of traditional nitrogen
removal (sewers) contained in the later phases of the plan.
5.2.4.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Three Bays Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, water supply
protection, flood zone considerations and economic development, via sewer expansion within the
Three Bays Watershed.
5.2.4.1.1 Nutrient Removal
The Town’s wastewater plan has been designed to exceed the septic load removals modeled in
the 2006 MEP Report’s threshold loading scenarios in order to meet the regulatory TMDLs. A
summary of the modeled threshold septic loading scenario is provided in Table 5-10 and is
shown graphically in Figure 5-39. The Town’s sewer expansion plan has been designed to
achieve the threshold septic load removal percentages in each sub-embayment.
Town of Barnstable 5-61 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 5-10: MEP Threshold Septic Loading Modeling Scenario Summary
Sub-Embayment
MEP Present
Septic Load
(kg/day)
MEP
threshold
septic load
(kg/day)
MEP
threshold
Septic Load
to Remove
(kg/day)
MEP
Threshold
septic load
% change
Cotuit Bay 17.022 13.618 3.404 -20.0%
West Bay 15.490 12.392 3.098 -20.0%
Seapuit River 2.921 2.921 0.000 0.0%
North Bay 24.978 0.000 24.978 -100.0%
Prince's Cove 11.192 0.000 11.192 -100.0%
Warren's Cove 6.975 0.000 6.975 -100.0%
Prince's Cove
Channel 4.767 0.000 4.767 -100.0%
Marstons Mills
Crescent 3.573 0.000 3.573 -100.0%
Surface Water
Sources
Marstons Mills
River 10.071 7.553 2.518 -25.0%
Little River 3.203 3.203 0.000 0.0%
Total 100.192 39.687 60.505 60.4%
Nitrogen data reported below in Table 5-11, is from the Town of Barnstable’s wastewater
planning GIS tool and reflects calculated existing, un-attenuated nitrogen septic loads based
upon existing water use data.
Town of Barnstable 5-62 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 5-11: Proposed Un-Attenuated Nitrogen Removal in the Three Bays Watershed by Traditional
Solutions
Parcels Nitrogen
(kg/day N)
% of Total Watershed
Nitrogen Removed
Total Existing
Watershed 5,625 121.4 N/A
Phase Parcels Nitrogen
(kg/day N)
% of Total Watershed
Nitrogen Removed
1 805 16.1 13.2%
2 843 24.7 20.3%
3 1,708 28.4 23.4%
Subtotal 3,356 69.1 56.9%
Stage Parcels Nitrogen
(kg/day N)
% of Total Watershed
Nitrogen Removed
1 21 0.3 0.3%
2 216 3.8 3.1%
3 121 1.7 1.4%
Subtotal 358 5.8 4.8%
Total 3,714 74.9 61.7%
5.2.4.1.2 Traditional Wastewater Needs (Other Needs)
Title 5 Issues
Integral to the planning process was the Town’s development of a wastewater planning GIS tool
which allowed Town staff to spatially map traditional Title 5 concerns such as small lot size,
depth to groundwater, existing septic variances, existing known failed septic systems, and Zone
IIs. Parcels with area less than 0.25 acres were flagged because of they were considered difficult
to site a traditional septic system, likely to need septic variances, and increased density leading to
increased nutrient loading. Parcels with an average depth of groundwater of less than four feet
were flagged as likely to require raised systems which are costly and less desirable for
community aesthetics. Existing septic variances and existing known failed septic systems were
also mapped.
The tool allows the Town to overlay these layers to identify the “hot-spots” for traditional
sewering solutions. These areas were then incorporated into the plan where practical. Many of
these “hot-spots” overlaid other needs such as nutrients and pond protection. The Plan for the
Three Bays Watershed significantly addresses traditional Title 5 concerns as shown in the data
Town of Barnstable 5-63 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
presented below which was calculated using the Town’s wastewater planning GIS tool (this data
does not account for attenuated nitrogen data):
Total parcels within the Three Bays Watershed = 5,625
Parcels with total area less than 0.25 acres = 336
o 208 (62%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with average depth to groundwater less than four feet = 143
o 62 (43%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with septic system variances = 36
o 12 (33%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with known failed septic systems = 2
o 2 (100%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels located within a Zone II = 3,479
o 2,671 (77%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Flood Zones
Low lying areas adjacent to the Three Bays system have been identified as needs areas for sewer
expansion due to being within the 100 year floodplain and/or the velocity zone, and generally
having shallow depth to groundwater. As a result of these conditions, traditional Title 5 septic
systems are difficult and costly to site in these areas.
Total parcels within the Three Bays Watershed = 5,625
Parcels within 100 year flood plain and/or velocity zone = 718 (13%)
o 481 (67%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan (including
those portions of the plan that are located within the 3 “stages”).
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are increasingly being detected in surface water.
(CECs) are made up of three general groups, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals,
and personal care products. These compounds and potential contaminants are not currently
regulated by the federal government because their toxicity is not well understood. Collecting
wastewater with sewers and treating at a centralized treatment location allows the opportunity to
treat wastewater for CECs as they are better understood and future treatment technologies are
developed.
Town of Barnstable 5-64 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.4.1.3 Pond Protection
The Town’s wastewater planning has included detailed studies of ponds 3 acres or larger
throughout the Town. Through those studies, there is extensive water data for 12 ponds in the
Three Bays Watershed. Pond classification of these ponds is shown in Table 5-12 and Table
5-13.
Table 5-12: Three Bays Watershed Pond classification 2009
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6m
Oligotrophic
Mill Hamblin Pond
Middle Pond
Mesotrophic
Bog Pond Lovell’s Pond
Mystic Lake
Eutrophic Little Pond Parker Pond
Eagle Pond
Muddy Pond
Long Pond
Hypereutrophic
Table 5-13: Three Bays Watershed Pond classification 2017
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6m
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Pattys Pond
Eutrophic
Sam’s Pond
Hypereutrophic
Seven ponds within the watershed have been identified as impaired: Pattys Pond, Parker Pond,
Little Pond, Eagle Pond, Muddy Pond, Long Pond, and Sam’s Pond.
Town of Barnstable 5-65 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.4.1.4 Economic Development
Sewer expansion is required within the Route 28 corridor to facilitate the sewer expansion needs
of the western portion of the Town. Additionally, the Route 28 corridor has also been identified
by the Town as an area desired for economic development. Development within this corridor
has historically been restricted by wastewater requirements (i.e. Title 5) and the Town’s Salt
Water Estuary’s Regulation. The Town’s wastewater plan has included sewer expansion of the
entire Route 28 corridor to accommodate these goals.
5.2.4.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The Town’s plan for the Three Bays Watershed incorporates both traditional solutions (sewer
expansion) and non-traditional solutions (dredging, stormwater, etc.). The plan has been
designed to meet the target septic removal via traditional sewer expansion alone. The sewer
expansion is phased over three, 10-year phases, addressing the densest areas in the first two
phases and the less dense (more expensive) areas in the third phase. During the first two phases,
the Town intends to install non-traditional solutions, monitor them, and present the monitoring
results to regulators. If the non-traditional solutions are effective, the Town’s goal would be to
reduce the amount of sewer expansion required in Phase 3. However, the Town is not seeking
“credit” for these non-traditional projects at this time and has presented a plan that meets the
Three Bays Watershed TMDL via traditional sewer expansion alone.
The plan addresses the needs areas using the following techniques:
Sewer Expansion
o 3,714 parcels (66%) in the watershed are included in the sewer expansion plan
o Removal of 61.7% (74.9 kg/day N) of the total existing un-attenuated septic load
in the watershed.
Stormwater upgrades
o The Three Bay’s Stormwater Project will continue. Refer to Section 2.2.1.2 for
projects completed to date.
o The Town’s MS4 program will identify and provide solutions to existing
stormwater outfalls.
36 of the Town’s 207 identified stormwater outfalls are located in the
Three Bays Watershed.
o The Town’s Public Road program invests on average $750,000 a year in
stormwater improvements in the Town’s public roads. These improvements
generally include replacement of failed catch basins and leaching structures.
Mill Pond Dredging
Town of Barnstable 5-66 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
o Continue to evaluate, design, and permit the project as discussed in Section
2.3.2.2.
Cranberry Bog Conversions
o Continue to support partners (BCWC and others) in pursuit of projects to convert
the cranberry bogs in the upper end of the Marstons Mills River system to nutrient
removal practices as discussed in Section 2.3.2.1.
Alternative Septic Systems
o Continue to support partners (BCWC and others) in evaluation of technologies
and installation of pilot projects as discussed in Section 3.1.2.5.
Aquaculture
o Existing commercial aquaculture grants in the Three Bays = 62 acres.
o Continue to evaluate aquaculture opportunities in Warren’s Cove as discussed in
Section 2.3.2.4.
Dredging of Cotuit Bay Cut
o Three phase project anticipated to be completed in the winter of 2020.
o Anticipated to improve flushing within Cotuit Bay.
Fertilizer Regulation
o In 2014 the Town adopted a Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control
Regulation (see Appendix PP). The regulation includes the following:
Provides Best Management Practices and performance standards for
noncertified fertilizer applicators.
Outlines education, certification, enforcement and penalties.
5.2.4.3 FUTURE CONDITIONS
The majority of the watershed is significantly built-out.
Projected growth within the watershed.
o The projected growth within the watershed is focused on the Route 28 corridor
which will be addressed with traditional solutions (i.e. sewer expansion).
Projected growth in these areas will be considered when sizing sewer
infrastructure (pipes, pump stations, force mains, etc.).
Adaptive management and monitoring
o The Town will continue to monitor the embayment, review the Plan and provide
formal updates as required.
Town of Barnstable 5-67 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
o Refer to Section 6.4 for the Adaptive Management Plan and Section 6.3 for the
Monitoring Plan.
Town of Barnstable 5-68 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-38: Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-69 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-39: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-70 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-40: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-71 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-41: Impaired Ponds in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-72 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-42: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-73 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-43: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-74 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-44: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-75 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-45: Public Water Supply Wells in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-76 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-46: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-77 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-47: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-78 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-48: Needs Areas in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-79 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-49: Sewer Expansion Plan in Three Bays Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-80 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-50: Non-Traditional Projects
Town of Barnstable 5-81 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.5 RUSHY MARSH POND WATERSHED
The Rushy Marsh Embayment System is a small estuary located within the village of Cotuit. It
is bounded by Main Street Cotuit on one side and Nantucket Sound on the other, and is located
between the Popponesset Bay and Three Bays watersheds. According to the MEP report,
virtually all the watershed’s freshwater and nutrients enter Rushy Marsh via groundwater
seepage, as there are no significant surface inflows to this system. Refer to Figure 5-53 for a
figure showing the Rushy Marsh Embayment system. For a detailed description of the
embayment system, refer to the 2006 MEP Report for the Rushy Marsh Embayment System
(Appendix V).
The open water area of the marsh is approximately 15 acres, thus making it a great salt pond.
USGS maps from 1893 show Rushy Marsh as a fully tidal estuary with salt marsh along its
eastern and northern shores. During the 1900’s the tidal inlet became restricted due to
sedimentation deposits and the formation of a barrier beach. There were attempts to keep the
system tidal with pipes and culverts, but ultimately the process of barrier beach formation
resulted in a freshening of Rushy Marsh Pond. By the turn of the century, the system was a
brackish salt pond.
The pond currently does not support eelgrass, and mapping from 1951 indicates it was not
present then either. Given this lack of documentation of an eelgrass population, it is not clear
that even when the system was much better flushed, it supported eelgrass beds. However, to the
extent that conditions could be improved to the level required for eelgrass colonization, the
acreage would likely range from 4-12 acres, most likely in the southern channel and the margins
of the main basin.
5.2.5.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS
5.2.5.1.1 Nutrient Removal
The 2006 MEP report states “While Rushy Marsh Pond presently has a relatively low nitrogen
load from its watershed, due to its small size and proportionally large undeveloped areas, it is
still significantly impaired by nitrogen enrichment and is clearly eutrophic. This apparent
paradox results from its very low tidal exchange rate, resulting from barrier beach processes
restricting the inlet to Nantucket Sound.”
5.2.5.1.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The 2006 MEP report suggested that even if the Town removed 100% of the septic load that
feeds into this pond, the pond would still be impaired due to its isolation from the sound. They
Town of Barnstable 5-82 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
went on to hypothesize that “…in order to meet the threshold concentrations in the system,
alternative approaches beyond load reductions are required to increase circulation and water
exchange with Nantucket Sound.”
MEP went on to run some simple models on the system assuming the inlet was increased to 4
feet and again to 10 feet. What they found was the total nitrogen concentrations were
significantly reduced with the modeled inlets, and that the reduction would be large to meet the
threshold limits that they suggested for the marsh.
In response to these findings the Town, working with Applied Coastal Research and Engineering
(ACRE), designed and installed a new inlet consisting of a 10-foot wide box culvert in the
southern portion of the basin in 2012. However, within several months the new inlet had
completely shoaled and filled with sand to the point that the new inlet was undistinguishable
from the existing beach (see Figure 5-51, and Figure 5-52), which eliminated tidal flow and
flushing.
In 2014, the Town had the Woods Hole Group conduct a forensic analysis of the project. What
they found was that the tidal prism of Rushy Marsh was inadequate to maintain a stable inlet
given the rate of littoral sand transport along the beach. In fact, they concluded that a stable inlet
is not feasible for the as-built inlet without substantial maintenance and the addition of hard
structures (jetties), or an extended large pipe well into the surf zone. Their initial calculations
indicated that the jetty lengths would have to be between 122 ft and 145 ft long.
Given this finding, and the Town’s understanding of the difficulty of permitting new hard
structures such as these in the surf zone, it elected to forgo any further action on this watershed.
Town of Barnstable 5-83 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-51: Rushy Marsh New Inlet, Newly Installed, Perspective Looking Toward Nantucket Sound
Figure 5-52: Rushy Marsh New Inlet, After Shoaling, Perspective from Nantucket Sound
New Inlet Headwall
Location of inlet
channel
Town of Barnstable 5-84 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-53: Rushy Marsh Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-85 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-54: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Rushy Marsh Pond Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-86 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-55: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Rushy Marsh Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-87 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.6 POPPONESSET BAY WATERSHED
The Popponesset Bay system is located within the Towns of Mashpee (north and west) and
Barnstable (east), with a southern shore bounded by water from Nantucket Sound. The Bay is
separated from Nantucket Sound by a barrier spit (Popponesset Beach), which grew from the
southwestern shore. The Bay exchanges tidal water with Nantucket Sound through a single
maintained inlet. Refer to Figure 5-56 for a figure showing the Popponesset Bay system. For a
detailed description of the embayment system, refer to the 2004 MEP Report for the Popponesset
Bay Embayment (Appendix T).
The source water for the Popponesset Bay Embayment System is the Popponesset Bay
Watershed. The Popponesset Bay Watershed is approximately 13,082 acres and is distributed
among the Towns of Mashpee, Barnstable and Sandwich (see Figure 5-56). Within the watershed
there are 40 identified surface waters including 13 named freshwater ponds (including No
Bottom Pond, Lewis Pond, Naomi Pond which are located in the Town of Barnstable) and 2
significant freshwater stream outlets (Mashpee River and Santuit River). The Cotuit Water
District operates one public drinking water well located within the watershed within the limits of
the Town of Barnstable.
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Popponesset Bay Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, flood zone
considerations, and economic development, via sewer expansion into the Popponesset Bay
Watershed.
5.2.6.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Popponesset Bay Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, water
supply protection, flood zone considerations, and economic development, via sewer expansion
within the Popponesset Bay Watershed.
5.2.6.1.1 Nutrient Removal
The 2004 MEP technical report for the Popponesset Bay system indicates that the system
exceeds its critical threshold for nitrogen, resulting in impaired water quality. Based upon the
findings of the MEP technical report, a TMDL for nitrogen has been developed and approved.
As previously discussed in Section 2.3.1.1, the Town executed an IMA with its western
neighbors (Mashpee and Sandwich) relative to addressing nitrogen removal (via nitrogen sharing
or other similar methods) in the Popponesset Bay Watershed. Key components of the IMA
include:
Town of Barnstable 5-88 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
The Towns agreed that it was in their best interests to apply jointly for a Watershed
Permit.
That each Town would develop and implement its own MassDEP approved CWMP or
Targeted Watershed Management Plan, and the capital projects undertaken by the Town
as a result of those plans will be the sole responsibility of that Town.
The Town of Mashpee would serve as the fiscal agent under the IMA and, as such, will
receive, hold, and expend any funds appropriated by the Parties for joint actions required
in the implementation of the IMA, as well as any grant funds awarded to the Parties for
the purpose of pursuing, securing, and implementing a Permit.
The Towns would establish a Popponesset Bay Watershed Work Group, which would be
comprised of three members from each Town (Town Manager, Selectman/Town
Councilor, and a technical representative), and which will:
o Administer this IMA and any amendments to it;
o Administer the application and implementation of a Watershed Permit; but
o The Work Group has no authority to bind one or more of the parties.
The Towns established a nitrogen allocation formula for the purpose of assigning costs
(see Table 5-14). They further agreed that the costs should be allocated on the basis of
unattenuated and attenuated nitrogen loadings.
o The unattenuated loads for tracking and accounting of nitrogen reductions which
result from implemented measures.
o The attenuated loads to provide a benchmark for comparison of improvements to
water quality based on implemented measures. Attenuated load is what is received
in the estuary.
Table 5-14: Nitrogen Allocation from Popponesset Bay Watershed IMA
Unattenuated Attenuated
Barnstable 12.6% 16.0%
Mashpee 65.4% 74.5%
Sandwich 22.0% 9.5%
Total 100% 100%
The Towns agreed to develop a fair and practical methodology for nitrogen trading
mechanism.
The Towns agreed to work together to adopt a fair and practical methodology for
monitoring the water quality of the watershed and funding said effort.
However, since the development of the IMA, concerns have been raised by the community that
nitrogen trading would not adequately address deteriorating water quality in portions on the
Town of Barnstable 5-89 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
watershed, specifically Shoestring Bay. Once a potential western wastewater treatment and
disposal option presented itself (JBCC), the Town decided to fund the evaluation and preliminary
design of a traditional solution in the Town’s portion of the Popponesset Bay Watershed. As a
result, the Town developed three “stages” of traditional sewer expansion in Cotuit which was
designed to address the septic load removal requirements in the Town’s portion of the watershed
by traditional methods.
The Town’s wastewater plan has been designed to exceed the septic load removals suggested in
the 2004 MEP Report’s threshold loading scenarios. The threshold septic loading scenario calls
for a 61% reduction in total septic load within the watershed, which is further broken out into
required septic load removals of the sub-watersheds that make up the total watershed. Portions
of three of the sub-watershed areas are located within the Town: Santuit River requires 35%
septic load removal (4.1 kg/day-N), Shoestring Bay requires 100% septic load removal (6.9
kg/day-N) and Pinquickset Cove requires 0% septic load removal. The aforementioned staging
developed by the Town was designed to meet or exceed these percentages within the Town and
removes the following total, un-attenuated septic load:
Santuit River sub-watershed: 44%, (4.1 kg/day-N, un-attenuated)
Shoestring Bay sub-watershed: 100% (3.4 kg/day-N, un-attenuated)
Pinquickset Cove sub-watershed: 30% (0.6 kg/day-N, un-attenuated)
It is important to note that the proposed staging sewer expansion plan as designed exceeds the
threshold septic load to be removed within the Santuit River sub-watershed (4.1 kg/day-N, un-
attenuated) even though the Town makes up approximately half of the total sub-watershed area.
Nitrogen removal data reported above is from the Town of Barnstable’s wastewater planning
GIS tool and reflects calculated existing un-attenuated nitrogen loading based upon existing
water use data.
5.2.6.1.2 Wastewater Needs (Other Needs)
Title 5 Issues
If the Town pursues the sewer expansion “stages” within the watershed, the plan will address
traditional Title 5 concerns via traditional sewer expansion. Utilizing the Town’s wastewater
planning GIS tool allowed Town staff to spatially map traditional Title 5 concerns such as small
lot size, depth to groundwater, existing septic variances, existing known failed septic systems,
and systems within Zone IIs. Parcels with area less than 0.25 acres were flagged because of they
were considered difficult to site a traditional septic system, likely to need septic variances, and
increased density leading to increased nutrient loading. Parcels with an average depth of
Town of Barnstable 5-90 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
groundwater of less than four feet were flagged as likely to require raised systems which are
costly and less desirable for community aesthetics. Existing septic variances and existing known
failed septic systems were also mapped.
The tool allows the Town to overlay these layers to identify the “hot-spots” for traditional Title 5
concerns. These areas were then incorporated into the plan where practical. Many of these “hot-
spots” overlaid other needs such as nutrients and pond protection. The Plan for the Popponesset
Bay Watershed significantly address traditional Title 5 concerns as shown in the data presented
below which was calculated using the Town’s wastewater planning GIS tool (this data does not
account for attenuated nitrogen data):
Total parcels located within the Popponesset Bay Watershed in the Town = 943
Parcels with total area less than 0.25 acres = 92
o 5 (5%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Staging Plan
Parcels with average depth to groundwater less than four feet = 10
o 5 (50%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Staging Plan
Parcels with septic system variances = 6
o 5 (83%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Staging Plan
Parcels with known failed septic systems = 0
Parcels located within a Zone II = 412
o 219 (53%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Staging Plan
Flood Zones
Low lying areas adjacent to Shoestring Bay, Pinquickset Cove, and Popponesset Bay proper
have been identified as needs areas for sewer expansion due to being within the 100 year
floodplain and/or the velocity zone, and generally having shallow depth to groundwater. As a
result of these conditions, traditional Title 5 septic systems are difficult and costly to site in these
areas.
Total parcels within the Popponesset Bay Watershed = 943
Parcels within 100 year flood plain and/or velocity zone = 175
o 114 (65%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Staging Plan
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are increasingly being detected in surface water.
(CECs) are made up of three general groups, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals,
and personal care products. These compounds and potential contaminants are not currently
regulated by the federal government because their toxicity is not well understood. Collecting
wastewater with sewers and treating at a centralized treatment location allows the opportunity to
Town of Barnstable 5-91 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
treat wastewater for CECs as they are better understood and future treatment technologies are
developed.
5.2.6.1.3 Pond Protection
The Town’s wastewater planning has included detailed studies of ponds 3 acres or larger
throughout the Town. Through those studies, there is extensive water data for 1 pond in the
Popponesset Bay Watershed. Pond classification of these ponds is shown in Table 5-15.
Table 5-15:Popponesset Bay Watershed Pond classification 2009
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
No Bottom
Eutrophic
Hypereutrophic
5.2.6.1.4 Economic Development
Within the Popponesset Bay Watershed, the Route 28 corridor has also been identified by the
Town as an area where a traditional solution is desired for economic development. Development
within this corridor has historically been restricted by wastewater requirements (i.e. Title 5) and
the Town’s Salt Water Estuary’s Regulation. The Town’s wastewater plan has included sewer
expansion along the entire Route 28 corridor to accommodate these goals.
5.2.6.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The plan addresses the needs areas using the following techniques:
Sewer expansion
o 524 of the 943 parcels (56%) located in the watershed in the Town are included in
the sewer expansion plan
o Removal of 52% (8.4 kg/day-N) of existing un-attenuated septic load within the
portions of the watershed within the Town.
Town of Barnstable 5-92 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Stormwater upgrades
o The Town’s MS4 program will identify and provide solutions to existing
stormwater outfalls.
1 of the Town’s 207 identified stormwater outfalls is located in the
Popponesset Bay Watershed.
o The Town’s Public Road program invests on average $750,000 a year in
stormwater improvements in the Town’s public roads. These improvements
generally include replacement of failed catch basins and leaching structures.
As part of a project that, partnering with the Town of Mashpee, will
replace the culvert which conveys Santuit River (a significant freshwater
tributary to Popponesset Bay Watershed) under Old Kings Road, the
Town will be installing new stormwater infrastructure which will address
stormwater runoff that is discharging directly into the river. This new
stormwater system will include deep sump catch basins and infiltration
structures which will reduce total suspended solids, bacteria and to a lesser
extent nutrients directly discharging to the River.
Dredging
o The Town is not proposing any dredging within the Town’s portion of the
Popponesset Bay embayment. The majority of the navigational channels within
Popponesset are located within the Town of Mashpee’s jurisdiction. The Town of
Mashpee performs on-going maintenance dredging within the embayment. The
2004 MEP report modeled a dredging alternative within the embayment which
showed negligible impacts on nutrients in the embayment.
Fertilizer Regulation
o In 2014 the Town adopted a Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control
Regulation (see Appendix PP). The regulation includes the following:
Provides Best Management Practices and performance standards for
noncertified fertilizer applicators.
Outlines education, certification, enforcement and penalties.
Watershed Permit
o As stated in the executed IMA, Barnstable will work with the two other
communities (Mashpee and Sandwich) that make up the Popponesset Bay
Watershed in the pursuit of a Watershed Permit.
5.2.6.3 FUTURE CONDITIONS
The plan accommodates future growth conditions as follows:
Town of Barnstable 5-93 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
The majority of the watershed is significantly built-out.
Projected growth within the watershed.
o The projected growth within the watershed is focused on the Route 28 corridor
which will be addressed with traditional solutions (i.e. sewer expansion).
Projected growth in these areas will be considered when sizing sewer
infrastructure (pipes, pump stations, force mains, etc.).
o New developments within the watershed would be required to connect to sewer.
The sewer expansion staging plan removes more septic load than required within the
watershed, specifically within the Santuit River sub-watershed and the Pinquickset Cove
sub-watershed to substantially address any additional development that may be
experienced in the watershed.
Adaptive management and monitoring:
o The Town will continue to monitor the embayment, review the Plan and provide
formal updates as required.
o Refer to Section 6.4 for the Adaptive Management Plan and Section 6.3 for the
Monitoring Plan.
Town of Barnstable 5-94 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-56: Popponesset Bay Watershed Boundary
Town of Barnstable 5-95 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-57: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-96 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-58: MEP-modeled Future Septic Removal in Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-97 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-59: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-98 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-60: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-99 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-61: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-100 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-62: Public Water Supply Wells in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-101 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-63: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-102 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-64: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-103 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-65: Needs Areas in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-104 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-66: Sewer Expansion Plan in Popponesset Bay Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-105 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.7 BARNSTABLE HARBOR WATERSHED
The Barnstable Harbor Embayment System (also referred to as the Barnstable Great Marsh
System) is located on the north side of the Town of Barnstable and extends into the towns of
Sandwich, Yarmouth and Dennis. The system has a northern shore bounded by a narrow barrier
beach, known as Sandy Neck, which separates the Harbor from Cape Cod Bay, with which it
exchanges tidal waters. Due to the large tidal flow experienced in Barnstable Harbor, the
embayment has been determined to have assimilative capacity with respect to nitrogen, except
for the Millway sub-embayment (located in Barnstable Village). For a detailed description of
the embayment system, refer to the 2017 Draft MEP Report (Appendix CC).
The Barnstable Harbor Watershed is the source water for the Barnstable Harbor Embayment
System. The Barnstable Harbor Watershed is predominantly located within the Town of
Barnstable but also extends into the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis and Sandwich (see Figure 5-67).
Within the total watershed there are 63 identified surface waters including 18 named freshwater
ponds and 3 significant freshwater stream outlets. The 2 significant freshwater stream outlets in
the Barnstable Harbor Watershed that are located in the Town of Barnstable are: Bridge Creek
and Brickyard Creek. There are 3 public drinking water wells operated by Barnstable Water
District located within the watershed within the limits of the Town of Barnstable. Additionally,
the Village of West Barnstable is located within the watershed and is predominantly serviced by
private on-site drinking water wells. There are no municipally operated wastewater treatment
facilities within the watershed.
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Barnstable Harbor Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, water
supply protection, flood zone considerations, and economic development, via sewer expansion
within the watershed.
5.2.7.1 SUMMARY OF NEEDS
The Town of Barnstable’s wastewater plan has been designed to address multiple needs areas
within the Barnstable Harbor Watershed, including nutrient removal, pond protection, water
supply protection, flood zone considerations and economic development, via sewer expansion
within the Barnstable Harbor Watershed.
5.2.7.1.1 Nutrient Removal
As of the writing of this report, the MEP technical report for the Barnstable Harbor system is in
draft form and there is no approved nitrogen TMDL for the Barnstable Harbor system. The 2017
draft MEP technical report for the Barnstable Harbor system indicates that the system is not
severely overloaded with respect to nitrogen and the majority of sub-embayments have
Town of Barnstable 5-106 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
assimilative capacity to accept more nitrogen. The one exception is the Millway sub-embayment
which the modeling indicates is overloaded with respect to nitrogen and requires a 65% (4.7
kg/day-N) reduction in nitrogen septic load. The Town’s wastewater plan has been designed to
exceed the required septic load removal within the Millway sub-embayment by sewer expansion
within the Millway sub-watersheds (Millway LT10, Millway GT10, and Maraspin Creek sub-
watersheds). Utilizing the Town’s wastewater planning GIS tool, the Town modeled the septic
loading within the Millway sub-watersheds and developed a sewer expansion plan to reduce the
septic loading to the Millway sub-embayment. The plan will extend sewer to 370 parcels within
the Millway sub-watersheds which will result in an un-attenuated septic load removal of 5.3
kg/day-N, which exceeds the MEP required reduction of 4.7 kg/day-N.
5.2.7.1.2 Wastewater Needs (Other Needs)
Title 5 Issues
Integral to the planning process was the Town’s development a wastewater planning GIS tool
which allowed Town staff to spatially map traditional Title 5 concerns such as small lot size,
depth to groundwater, existing septic variances, existing known failed septic systems, and
systems within Zone IIs. Parcels with area less than 0.25 acres were flagged because they were
considered difficult to site a traditional septic system, likely to need septic variances, and
increased density leading to increased nutrient loading. Parcels with an average depth of
groundwater of less than four feet were flagged as likely to require raised systems which are
costly and less desirable for community aesthetics. Existing septic variances and existing known
failed septic systems were also mapped.
The tool allows the Town to overlay these layers to identify the “hot-spots” for traditional Title 5
concerns. These areas were then incorporated into the plan where practical. Many of these “hot-
spots” overlaid other needs such as nutrients and pond protection. The Plan for the Barnstable
Harbor Watershed addresses traditional Title 5 concerns as shown in the data presented below
which was calculated using the Town’s wastewater planning GIS tool (this data does not account
for attenuated nitrogen data):
Total parcels within the Town of Barnstable within the Barnstable Harbor Watershed
= 4,656
Total parcels connected to municipal existing sewer = 452 (10%)
Parcels with total area less than 0.25 acres = 335 (7%)
o 139 (41%) already served by municipal sewer
o 38 (11%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 177 (52%)
Parcels with average depth to groundwater less than four feet = 267 (6%)
Town of Barnstable 5-107 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
o 29 (11%) already served by municipal sewer
o 36 (13%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 65 (24%)
Parcels with septic system variances = 26 (0.6%)
o 5 (19%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels with known failed septic systems = 2 (0.04%)
o 1 (50%) will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
Parcels located within a Zone II = 669 (14%)
o 40 (6%) already served by municipal sewer
o 382 (57%) additional to be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 422 (63%)
Flood Zones
Total parcels within the Barnstable Harbor Watershed = 5,220
Parcels within FEMA mapped 100-year flood zone (AE/AO) or velocity zone (VE) =
833
o 179 (21%) already served by municipal sewer
o 24 (3%) that will be addressed with a traditional solution in the Plan
o Total = 203 (24%)
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEcs)
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are increasingly being detected in surface water.
(CECs) are made up of three general groups, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals,
and personal care products. These compounds and potential contaminants are not currently
regulated by the federal government because their toxicity is not well understood. Collecting
wastewater with sewers and treating at a centralized treatment location allows the opportunity to
treat wastewater for CECs as they are better understood and future treatment technologies are
developed.
5.2.7.1.3 Pond Protection
The Town’s wastewater planning has included detailed studies of ponds 3 acres or larger
throughout the Town. Through those studies, there is extensive water data for 5 ponds in the
Barnstable Harbor Watershed. Pond classification of these ponds is shown in Table 5-16 and
Table 5-17. Two ponds within the watershed have been identified as impaired: Flax Pond and
Mill Pond.
Table 5-16: Barnstable Harbor Watershed Pond Classification 2009 Study
Town of Barnstable 5-108 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6m
Oligotrophic
Hathaway’s Pond
(South)
Garrett’s Pond Hathaway’s Pond
(North)
Mesotrophic
Eutrophic
Mill Pond
Hypereutrophic
Table 5-17: Barnstable Harbor Watershed Pond Classification 2017 Study
Ultra-Shallow
0 to 2.1m
Shallow
2.1 to 8.6m
Deep
>8.6m
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Mill Pond
Eutrophic
Flax Pond
Hypereutrophic
One pond within the watershed has been identified as impaired: Flax pond.
Economic Development
The Town’s Planning and Development Department (P&D) identified a number of areas within
the Barnstable Watershed as needs areas for sewer expansion to promote economic development.
These areas include:
Properties along Route 132 from Attucks Lane to Phinney’s Lane.
Properties along Attucks Lane
Properties along the west side of Phinney’s Lane between Route 132 and the Mid-Cape
Highway (Route 6).
The Kidd’s Hill Area (referred to in previous sections as the “Lorusso property”).
Properties in the “Independence Park” area that have not been connected to municipal
sewer to date or have not been developed to date.
Town of Barnstable 5-109 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.7.2 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The plan addresses the needs areas using the following techniques:
Sewer Expansion
o 452 of the 4,656 parcels (10%) in the watershed within the Town of Barnstable
are connected to municipal sewer
o 370 parcels in the Millway sub-watersheds will be are included in the proposed
sewer expansion plan. The un-attenuated septic load removal is 5.3 kg/day-N,
which exceeds the MEP required reduction of 4.7 kg/day-N.
Stormwater upgrades
o The Town’s MS4 program will identify and provide solutions to existing
stormwater outfalls.
54 of the Town’s 207 identified stormwater outfalls are located in the
Barnstable Harbor Watershed.
o The Town’s Public Road program invests on average $750,000 a year in
stormwater improvements in the Town’s public roads. These improvements
generally include replacement of failed catch basins and leaching structures.
o In the Fall of 2019 and the Spring of 2020, the Town will be completing a
streetscape project on Route 6A the center of Barnstable Village and on Mill Way
which includes an upgrade to the stormwater management systems of these
roadways. These upgrades will improve the water quality of the stormwater
runoff generated on these roadways and collected in the stormwater system.
Fertilizer Regulation
o In 2014 the Town adopted a Fertilizer Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control
Regulation (see Appendix PP). The regulation includes the following:
Provides Best Management Practices and performance standards for
noncertified fertilizer applicators.
Outlines education, certification, enforcement and penalties.
Town of Barnstable 5-110 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.2.7.3 FUTURE CONDITIONS
The plan accommodates future growth conditions as follows:
The Millway sub-watershed is significantly developed with predominantly residential
uses. It is not anticipated that there will be substantial growth within this sub-watershed.
However, sewer expansion within this sub-watershed has been designed to remove 113%
of the required septic load to accommodate any unanticipated growth within this area.
Sewer expansion projects will be designed to accommodate growth within the expansion
areas (increased pipe sizes, appropriate pump station sizing, etc.).
Downtown Barnstable Village is a densely developed business center and is also home to
the Barnstable County complex. This area has been served by municipal sewer since the
late 1970s.
o The SewerCAD model indicates that the existing sewers in this area have
sufficient capacity for existing and future conditions.
Adaptive management and monitoring
o The Town will continue to monitor the embayment, review the Plan and provide
formal updates as required.
o Refer to Section 6.4 for the Adaptive Management Plan and Section 6.3 for the
Monitoring Plan.
Town of Barnstable 5-111 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-67: Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-112 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-68: MEP-modeled Existing Septic Removal in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-113 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-69: Impaired Ponds in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-114 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-70: FEMA Flood Zones (2014) in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-115 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-71: Parcels with Title 5 Septic Failures and Variances in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-116 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-72: Parcels with I/A Septic Systems in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-117 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-73: Public Water Supply Wells in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-118 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-74: Parcels with Less than 4 feet Depth to Groundwater in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-119 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-75: Parcels with Less than 0.25 acres in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-120 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-76: Needs Areas in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-121 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 5-77: Sewer Expansion Plan in Barnstable Harbor Watershed
Town of Barnstable 5-122 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.3 TREATMENT AND EFFLUENT DISPOSAL
To accommodate the proposed sewer expansion, aspects of the wastewater treatment facility will
need to be upgraded. Additionally, as discussed in previous sections, effluent disposal options
will have to be identified. The following two sections briefly discuss those requirements.
5.3.1 WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY
The Barnstable Water Pollution Control Facility (BWPCF) was initially constructed in 1935,
though the majority of the plant as presently constituted was installed in 1980. The Town has
been upgrading individual pieces of equipment at the facility as it has approached the end of its
design life ever since. The majority of the additional flows and loads associated with sewer
expansion will need to be treated at the plant which will require changes to the facility. These
are discussed below. The timing and costs of these upgrades can be found in Table 6-3 in
Section 6.
Solids Handling Facility - The solids handling facility processes the residuals from
septage receiving and the primary (two of them) and secondary (three of them) clarifiers.
The residuals are thickened via two, 2-meter, gravity belt thickeners to approximately 5-
6% solids, and trucked off Cape Cod to an incineration disposal facility. This system is
nearing the end of its design life, and the additional flow from new sewers will further tax
this equipment and necessitate expansion. This project is currently being designed and is
expected to be constructed in FY21-23.
Aeration Tanks/System – The aeration tanks are where biological activity reduces the
organic carbon components of the wastewater. Properly configured, they can also reduce
some of the nitrogen load as well. There are three parallel reactor trains, each with a
volume of 170,000 cubic feet. The system was originally designed to treat 4.2 MGD for
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) removal (without nitrogen removal). To achieve
nitrogen removal tank volume is required for the nitrification and denitrification process,
thus reducing the rated capacity of the aeration tanks. Based on treatment plant operation
during July and August, and results of computer modeling, the estimated maximum
month capacity of the aeration tanks is less than 2.5 MGD. Expansion of the aeration
system to accommodate the new flows will be required within the first 3-5 years of the
plan.
Nutrient Removal Technologies – The existing facility reduces nitrogen concentrations to
an annual average of approximately 6 mg/l of Total N. Though a relatively low
concentration, in combination with the amount of flow being treated this can still equate
to a significant nitrogen load entering the environment. The Town is limited to an annual
mass nitrogen load limit of 49,315 pounds per year. Reducing the nitrogen concentration
from 6 mg/l to 3 mg/l in the effluent would remove 18.9 kg/day-N of existing nitrogen
load from the watershed (approximately 35% of the total attenuated load to be removed
Town of Barnstable 5-123 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
per the Cape Cod Commission 208 Watershed Report), and would enable additional
effluent discharge in the Town of Yarmouth if the Town elected to utilize that option (see
Section 2.3.1.2). This evaluation, design and construction is expected to occur in years 1-
5 of the plan.
Headworks Facilities – The headworks is the portion of the plant that receives all the
flows from the collections system and provides pretreatment of the wastewater.
Pretreatment removes larger items for the wastewater and grit via a manual bar screen, an
automated mechanically cleaned climber screen, and an aerated grit chamber. Though
the headworks facilities are adequately sized for the projected flows from the sewer
expansion, they do not have space to receive the new sewer piping, and the equipment is
generally very dated technology that is beyond its design life. The evaluation, design and
construction/upgrade of this facility is expected in years 3-8.
Backup Power – With the expansion of the plant, there will be a need for additional
backup power on site. As such the Town will need to design and install a second
emergency backup generator in order to handle the increased electrical loads placed on
the facility. The evaluation, design and construction/upgrade of this facility is expected
in years 4-5.
Secondary Clarifiers – Secondary clarifiers are the tanks that follow the aeration system,
where the biological process (“bugs”) are settled out from the wastewater prior to the
treated water being disposed of. The Town currently has three secondary clarifiers (two
are 70-foot diameter and one is 85-foot diameter). Between them is the capacity to treat
up to 4.7 MGD (max day). To accommodate the full sewer expansion, additional
secondary clarifier capacity will be needed. As such the Town will evaluate, design, and
construct improvements to the secondary clarifiers at the BWPFC in order to increase
treatment capacity. The evaluation, design and construction/upgrade of this facility is
expected to occur at the end of Phase I and the beginning of Phase II.
5.3.2 EFFLUENT DISPOSAL
The effluent disposal capacity of the Barnstable Water Pollution Control Facility (BWPCF) has
been studied for decades. The hydrogeology of the site was studied by Maravell et al., 1984;
Cambareri, 1986; Geraghty and Miller, 1995; Stearns and Wheler, 2003; Stearns and Wheler,
2005; Stearns and Wheler, 2011; Watershed Hydrologic, Inc., 2014; GHD, 2017. This work
indicated that there were concerns the effluent disposal capacity of the facility did not match its
treatment capacity, and that the issue was not related to getting effluent into the ground, but
rather the effect it had on groundwater levels downstream from the facility. However, those
efforts were not rigorous enough to definitively say at what disposal level problems would start,
how long it would last, which properties would be impacted, and exactly what would be the
impact.
Town of Barnstable 5-124 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
To better understand these issues the Town in 2019 hired CDM Smith to study effluent disposal.
Their efforts, which were still underway as of the writing of this document, included field work
(borings, slug testing, ground penetrating radar utilization, and groundwater monitoring) and the
development of models (conceptual site models, and a numerical model) of the system. The
numerical model was based on the 2016 steady-state USGS model with updates to reflect
transient inputs near the BWPCF and the subsurface features identified as part of the field work.
Additionally, though the base USGS model contained uniform grid cells of 400 by 400 feet, the
CDM Smith model modified these for the area surrounding the BWPCF to 150 by 150 feet. This
improved the resolution on the impacts of recharge at the individual effluent disposal beds.
What has been identified to date by these efforts is that the average monthly discharge at the
BWPCF ranges from 1.4 MGD to 1.9 MGD (based on 2014 through 2018 BWPCF records) with
an annual average discharge of 1.6 MGD. Due to the seasonal population, wastewater flows are
highest during the summer and lowest during the winter. Groundwater levels fluctuate several
feet during any given year due to changes in monthly recharge from precipitation and septic and
wastewater return flows. Recharge is highest in the winter and spring and lowest in the summer
and fall. Average groundwater levels also fluctuate several feet from year to year. Depth to
groundwater measurements taken between 1976 and 2019 at Well MAA1W 306, located at the
Barnstable High School, have a range of almost 8 feet from 20.8 feet below ground surface (ft
bgs) in 1998 to 28.5 ft bgs in 2002. Water levels are highest in late spring (April, May and June).
The geophysical survey and borings identified an extensive clay and silt layer under the BWPCF
site. Testing indicated that this clay layer limits the vertical flow of groundwater. The depth of
the clay/silt layer is variable from 55 to 107 feet below ground surface (ft bgs). Borings outside
the BWPCF site suggest the clay extends beyond the BWPCF property, and generally is found at
an elevation of approximately 0 to -40 ft NGVD29.
Initial modeling results have shown that BWPCF effluent disposal capacity is in fact limited by
the depth to groundwater in low lying areas, and that capacity varies depending on the amount of
recharge from precipitation over the preceding three months. Initial results have indicated that
the estimated average annual site recharge capacity of the BWPCF is 2 MGD (with “capacity”
being when the depth to groundwater is less than 8 feet at a “receptor”. Additionally, the model
predicted that a sea level rise of 2-ft will increase the baseline groundwater elevations at the
BWPCF by approximately 0.8 ft (USGS 2016) further complicating the issue.
As noted this work is still on-going. Areas being actively investigated include the following.
Is the criteria/threshold of 8-feet below ground level criteria a good indicator of impact
on downstream dwellings?
Exactly how many downstream receptors (dwellings, septic systems, etc.) are impacted,
at what discharge levels, and what are the values of those properties? Is a viable solution
purchasing those properties?
Town of Barnstable 5-125 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
What level of risk (impact and reoccurrence interval) is acceptable?
The ramifications of the different seasonality of high groundwater and flow.
What scenarios are there to mitigate the issue? One that is being modeled is the
installations of downstream groundwater wells to withdraw the “surplus” water. Early
indications are that this method can effectively lower groundwater levels, but more work
is needed. Other scenarios will be identified and modeled.
What other disposal options are there for the community? As noted in Section 4.4.3,
discussions are underway with Yarmouth on trading treatment capacity in Barnstable for
disposal capacity on Yarmouth.
One final point, as per Table 6-2, average daily flows at the BWPCF are not expected to reach 2
MGD until 2027. An update on the work described above will be included in the five year
adaptive management plan update, which will be prepared by the Town in 2025.
5.4 STATEMENT OF CONSISTENCY WITH 208
Waste Treatment Management Agency (WMA) assumes responsibility for controllable
nitrogen for any part of the watershed within its jurisdiction.
In the Comprehensive Water Management Plan (CWMP), the Town of Barnstable commits to
addressing its share of controllable nitrogen load in all of the watersheds within the Town’s
jurisdiction.
Future Action: Nitrogen loading information should be revisited during development of annual
updates and adaptive management reports, using up-to-date population and water use data.
Plan meets applicable nutrient targets.
The CWMP is designed to reduce nutrient loads to meet the nutrient targets (TMDL’s or
otherwise) within the jurisdictional limits of the Town of Barnstable. The University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) has reviewed
the plan via the MEP model and determined that the plan, once fully implemented, will satisfy
the nutrient removal targets to achieve the TMDLs in the Town’s embayments.
Planning occurs at a watershed level with consideration of a hybrid approach.
The CWMP is designed to meet the nutrient targets developed for each of the watersheds
addressed in the plan with traditional solutions. However, the plan includes a hybrid approach by
also utilizing non-traditional solutions such as dredging, aquaculture, alternative septic systems,
cranberry bog conversions, and storm water treatment.
Town of Barnstable 5-126 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Future Action: The Town will continue to progress towards required nitrogen reductions, using
tradition and non-traditional solutions.
Public was engaged to gain plan consensus.
The Town has involved the public during the process of drafting the CWMP, with a committee
named the WRAC, which was staffed by eight citizens and three Town Councilors. Their
meetings and workshops were conducted in the Town Council Meeting room and televised and
available on video on demand, for the general public to be able to witness what was occurring.
Further public engagement in the planning process is discussed in detail in Section 4.
Future Action: The Town will continue to involve the public in the process of finalizing the plan
and pursuing its implementation.
Plan includes proposed strategies to manage nitrogen loading from new growth.
The CWMP includes addresses future development and its wastewater flows and nitrogen loads.
Please refer to Sections 2.2.6 for discussion of future conditions in the Town and Section 5.3 for
discussion relative to how the plan addresses future conditions on a watershed by watershed
basis.
Future Action: The Town of Barnstable will continue to progress with future growth conditions.
The town will continue creating updates to the plan every five years to accommodate future
growth.
Plan includes adaptive management approach
Refer to the adaptive management plan in Section 6.4. The Town will submit adaptive
management updates every 5 years.
Plan included pre- and post- implementation monitoring program
The Town has completed 20+ seasons of embayment monitoring, with monitoring locations
selected and approved under MassDEP, to track compliance with total maximum daily load.
Refer to Section 6.3 for further discussion of the Town’s monitoring plan.
Future Action:
The Town will continue to perform embayment monitoring to comply with the MassDEP
standards, as well as continue private monitoring of the Marstons Mills River carried out by the
Barnstable Clean Water Coalition.
Plan includes a description and assessment of the towns proposed funding strategy
Refer to Section 7 of the CWMP for the Town’s financial strategy.
Town of Barnstable 5-127 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
WMA commits to regular 208 Plan update consistency reviews until water quality goals are
achieved, generally to occur at least every five years
The Town of Barnstable plans to formally review the CWMP every five years.
In shared watersheds, WMA seeking 208 Consistency Review collaborates with neighboring
WMA(s) on nitrogen allocation, shared solutions, and cost saving measures
Refer to Sections 2.3.1 and 6.2 for discussion relative to the Town’s collaborative work with
neighboring communities relative to nitrogen allocation, shared solutions and cost saving
measures.
Town of Barnstable 5-128 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
5.5 UPDATED MEP MODELING
In order to verify that the proposed sewer expansion plan would achieve the TMDL’s in the
impaired embayments, the Town retained the University of Massachusetts School for Marine
Science and Technology (SMAST) to review the plan via the MEP model. The plan was
reviewed for the four embayments where the majority of the watershed is within the Town of
Barnstable: Three Bays, Centerville River, Lewis Bay, and Barnstable Harbor (referred to as
Barnstable Great Marshes by SMAST). This effort determined that the plan, once fully
implemented, will satisfy the nutrient removal targets to achieve the TMDLs in these
embayments. The draft memorandum from SMAST of this effort can be found in Appendix QQ.
Below is a brief summary of the effort.
Updated Land Use Data
The original MEP assessments of Lewis Bay/Halls Creek, Centerville River, Three Bays and
Branstable Harbor were completed in different years, some of which were approaching 2 decades
ago, the impact of changes in the land use and water use information obtained from the Town for
each assessment were different. As a result, SMAST, working with Town staff, updated each
watershed model was updated with current land use and water use data.
Sewer Expansion Plan: Wastewater Treatment and Effluent Discharge Locations
After updating the models to reflect current conditions, SMAST modeled the impact of the
Town’s sewer expansion plan to confirm that TMDL’s would be met. To do this, Town staff had
to project where collected wastewater would be treated and discharged. The following treatment
and disposal assumptions were made:
Majority of sewer expansion would be treated at BWPCF.
o It was assumed that 2.0 MGD average daily flow would be disposed at BWPCF
via the existing rapid infiltration beds. The modeling assumed a Total Nitrogen
concentration of 3 mg/L which accounts for anticipated denitrification upgrades at
the facility.
o Sewer expansion in the western part of town (westerly of end of Phase 1 at Old
Post Road) would be treated and disposed of at an as-yet-undetermined
wastewater treatment facility outside of the Town boundaries, i.e. a “western
solution” (JBCC, or otherwise).
The remainder of effluent was assumed to be discharged in the Barnstable Harbor
Watershed at an as-yet-undetermined effluent disposal location. This was done to ensure
there is sufficient assimilative capacity to accept additional nitrogen in the watershed if
other options (increased disposal capacity rating at BWPCF, potential Yarmouth
partnership, pumping of groundwater, etc.) are not realized.
Town of Barnstable 5-129 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Conclusion
The following is SMAST’s conclusion of the effort:
“The Town has proposed a 30-year, three-phased wastewater plan that uses and builds on the
existing wastewater infrastructure, including the municipal Hyannis WPCF. Using the updated
2019 land uses, project staff also reviewed the impact of the proposed 2019 wastewater plan
when fully implemented on the watershed nitrogen loads and the associated nitrogen
concentrations in the Town’s major estuaries. These scenarios incorporated the proposed
sewering in each of the watersheds, along with the proposed distribution of treated effluent from
the Hyannis WPCF. These scenarios also utilized the existing MEP hydrodynamic/water quality
models without any updates to tidal measurements, sediment nitrogen regeneration or
bathymetry. In most of the systems, the proposed Town wastewater plan resulted in the
TMDLs/MEP thresholds being attained. The proposed strategy for the Three Bays system of
sewering as put forward in the 2019 Wastewater Plan will require implementation of further
nitrogen management, currently being planned [non-traditional technologies], to attain the
necessary nitrogen loading reductions to fully restore the water and habitat quality throughout
the Three Bays Estuary.” It should be noted that the Three Bays analysis did not account for any
nitrogen mitigation within the Town of Sandwich, which is responsible for 7% of the
contribution per the Cape Cod Commission Watershed Report.
Town of Barnstable 5-130 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 5-18: Summary of SMAST Watershed analysis.
Centerville River: Whole System Watershed N Loads
Scenario Description Total N Load (kg/yr)
Unatten Atten
MEP Baseline 2004 60,657 47,189
2019 Current updated LU, WU, etc 62,054 49,692
MEP Threshold (Allowable TN) 34,833
Proposed Sewer Plan 2019 update with sewer plan 37,682 29,323
Lewis Bay: Whole System Watershed N Loads
Scenario Description Total N Load (kg/yr)
Unatten Atten
MEP Baseline 2004 56,751 50,574
2019 Current updated LU, WU, etc 60,538 54,838
MEP Threshold (Allowable TN) 35,701
Proposed Sewer Plan 2019 update with sewer plan 35,565 31,501
Barnstable Great Marshes: Whole System Watershed N Loads
Scenario Description Total N Load (kg/yr)
Unatten Atten
MEP Baseline 2011-2012 73,613 66,221
2019 Current updated LU, WU, etc 73,815 66,667
MEP Threshold (Allowable TN) 92,433
Proposed Sewer Plan 2019 update with sewer plan 74,591 67,597
Three Bays: Whole System Watershed N Loads
Scenario Description Total N Load (kg/yr)
Unatten Atten
MEP Baseline 2000-2004 68,853 48,943
2019 Current updated LU, WU, etc 69,372 51,643
MEP Threshold (Allowable TN) 25,643
Proposed Sewer Plan 2019 update with sewer plan 42,545 29,039*
* Does not include nitrogen mitigation for the Town of Sandwich, which contributes
7% of watershed load.
Town of Barnstable 6-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
6 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN/SCHEDULE
6.1 PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND RECOMMENDED
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEDULE
The Plan includes an aggressive 30-year plan focused on traditional solutions that will be
performed in three 10-year phases. The Town has developed a recommended implementation
plan for the first 10-year phase (Phase 1) of the plan. The Town anticipates that the first adaptive
management update (2025) include an update on this implementation plan as well as a similar
detailed implementation plan for Phase 2. The followings table and figure graphically show the
effectiveness of the Phase 1 Implementation Plan.
Table 6-1: Phase 1 Traditional Project Statistics
Project Number
of Parcels
Wastewater
Captured
(gpd)
Total N
Removed
(kg/day)
% of Total
N Removed
in Phase 1
Watershed1
Merchants Way2 7 0 0.0 0.0% BH
Strawberry Hill Road 240 47,066 4.7 6.0% CR
Route 28 East 49 9,440 0.9 1.2% CR
Old Yarmouth Road 131 22,603 2.2 2.9% LB
Phinneys Lane 653 94,200 9.4 12.0% CR & HC
Long Beach 203 37,647 3.7 4.8% CR & UN
Route 28 Centerville 41 5,534 0.6 0.7% CR
Huckins Neck 148 21,506 2.1 2.8% CR
Long Pond Area 606 114,599 11.4 14.7% CR
Great Marsh Road 406 79,299 7.9 10.1% CR
Old Craigville Road 397 41,512 4.1 5.3% CR & HC
Route 28 Marstons Mills 157 36,429 3.6 4.7% 3B
Osterville Woods 328 59,571 5.9 7.6% CR & 3B
Shootflying Hill Road 348 52,306 5.2 6.7% CR & BH
Lumbert Mill 357 53,221 5.3 6.8% CR
Osterville-West Barnstable
Road & South County Road 153 32,787 3.3 4.2% 3B
Marstons Mills Main Street 144 24,123 2.4 3.1% 3B
Prince Cove 158 32,972 3.3 4.2% 3B
Attucks Lane/Kidds Hill Area 87 16,893 1.7 2.2% BH
Total 4,613 781,708 77.7 100.0%3
1.BH=Barnstable Harbor, CR=Centerville River, LB=Lewis Bay, HC=Halls Creek, 3B=Three Bays, UN=Undefined
2. Parcels to be served by this project are currently undeveloped.
3. Phase 1 is 44% of the Plan.
Town of Barnstable 6-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Figure 6-1: Phase 1 Implementation Plan
Town of Barnstable 6-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Table 6-2: Phase 1 Sewer Collection System Expansion CIP Schedule Project FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27 FY28 FY29FY30 FY31TOTALMerchants Way$50,000 $550,000$600,000Strawberry Hill Road$835,000 $8,500,000$9,335,000Route 28 East$800,000$12,000,000$12,800,000Old Yarmouth Road$750,000$600,000 $6,000,000$7,350,000Phinneys Lane$315,000 $735,000$20,000,000$21,050,000Long Beach$300,000 $750,000 $7,500,000$8,550,000Route 28 Centerville$612,000$1,300,000 $14,000,000$15,912,000Huckins Neck$250,000 $600,000 $5,000,000$5,850,000Long Pond Area$402,000 $938,000$28,000,000$29,340,000Great Marsh Road$550,000 $1,250,000 $15,500,000$17,300,000Old Craigville Road$500,000 $1,000,000 $15,000,000$16,500,000Route 28 Marstons Mills$1,800,000$13,500,000$15,300,000Osterville Woods$450,000 $1,050,000 $13,500,000$15,000,000Shootflying Hill Road$600,000 $1,350,000 $17,500,000$19,450,000Lumbert Mill$450,000 $1,050,000 $13,500,000$15,000,000Osterville-West Barnstable Road & South County Road$300,000 $675,000 $8,700,000$9,675,000Marstons Mills Main Street$300,000 $650,000 $6,000,000$6,950,000Prince Cove$350,000 $650,000 $8,000,000$9,000,000Attucks Lane / Kidds Hill Area$100,000$300,000 $650,000 $8,500,000$9,550,000TOTAL COSTS - COLLECTION SYSTEM $867,000 $5,220,000 $12,200,000 $12,850,000 $27,500,000 $16,450,000 $36,950,000 $23,650,000 $30,200,000 $32,625,000 $14,800,000 $14,700,000 $16,500,000 $244,512,000NEW PARCELS CONNECTED 0 7 0 240 0 180 856 41 754 803 833 357 5424,613COMBINED FLOW (GPD) 1,670,000 1,670,000 1,670,000 1,717,000 1,717,000 1,749,000 1,881,000 1,887,000 2,023,000 2,144,000 2,292,000 2,345,000 2,452,000 782,000Evaluation and/or Preliminary DesignFinal DesignConstructionCurrently Funded Project$400,000Currently Unfunded Project$500,000Phase 1Legend Note: All costs are in 2017 dollars.
Town of Barnstable 6-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Table 6-3: Phase 1 Treatment Plant Upgrades CIP Schedule Project FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27 FY28 FY29FY30 FY31 TOTALAeration Upgrades$100,000 $800,000 $15,000,000$15,900,000Effluent Flow Meter (Permit Requirement)$600,000$600,000Denitrification$15,000$100,000 $1,500,000 $18,000,000$19,615,000BWPCF Effluent Disposal Capacity$195,000$195,000Effluent Disposal Location$150,000$1,000,000 $3,500,000 $35,000,000$39,650,000Future Pipes for Potential Yarmouth Connection$1,300,000$1,300,000Solids Handling$8,000,000$8,000,000Infiltration and Inflow (I/I) Program$380,000$400,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000$3,030,000Pump Station Rehabilitation Program$1,160,000$1,000,000 $2,000,000 $500,000 $500,000 $1,200,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000$7,860,000BWPCF Facility Study (Permit Requirement)$150,000$150,000Headworks Modifications$250,000$250,000Main Switch B Generator$550,000$550,000Secondary Clarifier Upgrades$300,000 $800,000$1,100,000TOTAL COSTS - WPCF UPGRADES $345,000 $3,455,000 $10,200,000 $3,350,000 $6,000,000 $16,300,000 $19,450,000 $35,500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $800,000 $500,000 $1,300,000 $94,400,000Evaluation and/or Preliminary DesignFinal DesignConstructionPhase 1Legend Note: All costs are in 2017 dollars.
Town of Barnstable 6-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
6.2 COORDINATION WITH NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES
Barnstable shares watersheds with the towns of Mashpee, Sandwich, and Yarmouth. The Town
will continue to work with neighboring communities to address the needs for each watershed.
6.2.1 MASHPEE
Barnstable and Mashpee currently share the Popponesset Bay Watershed. Barnstable has worked
with Mashpee and Sandwich in developing an inter-municipal agreement (IMA) regarding
nutrient management in Popponesset Bay. Please refer to Section 2.3.1.1 for more detail about
this IMA agreement.
JBCC – The towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich have discussed the possibility
of utilizing the waste water treatment facility on JBCC as a regional facility. During the winter
of 2018/2019 Barnstable was invited to join the four towns. Barnstable joined and contracted a
consultant to study the feasibility of further expanding the Joint Base Cape Cod wastewater
treatment facility, to accommodate additional flows from the western portion of the Town. The
results of the consultant’s efforts can be found in Appendices KK to NN.
6.2.2 SANDWICH
Sandwich and Barnstable currently share Popponesset and Three Bays Watershed.
As discussed, Barnstable and Mashpee currently share the Popponesset Bay Watershed.
Barnstable has worked with Sandwich and Mashpee in developing an inter-municipal agreement
(IMA) regarding nutrient management in Popponesset Bay. Please refer to Section 2.3.1.1 for
more detail about this IMA agreement.
Three Bays Watershed – Coordination meetings and discussions were held with Sandwich. Each
community is addressing its respective need for this watershed via their own CWMP.
As discussed the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich have discussed the
possibility of utilizing the waste water treatment facility on JBCC as a regional facility. During
the winter of 2018/2019 Barnstable was invited to join the four towns. Barnstable joined and
contracted a consultant to study the feasibility of further expanding the Joint Base Cape Cod
wastewater treatment facility to accommodate additional flows from the western portion of the
Town. The results of the consultant’s efforts can be found in Appendices KK to NN.
Town of Barnstable 6-6 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
6.2.3 YARMOUTH
Yarmouth and Barnstable share the Lewis Bay and Barnstable Harbor watershed. After
discussion of treatment options a study was conducted to better understand the opportunities
related to having an exchange with Yarmouth. The basis of that exchange would be that
Yarmouth would send its collected sewage to Barnstable for treatment, and Barnstable would
send that effluent, plus additional effluent back to Yarmouth for disposal. Barnstable and
Yarmouth are currently still discussing treatment options during the writing of the CWMP. The
study that was conducted can be found in Appendix JJ.
6.2.4 WATERSHED PERMITS
Massachusetts DEP has formulated a watershed permitting program to provide a permitting
structure that transcends municipal boundaries and focuses on nitrogen management solutions
across an entire watershed. Within the Town’s shared watersheds with approved TMDL’s
(Popponesset Bay, Three Bays, and Lewis Bay) the Town anticipates engaging neighboring
communities, working with MassDEP and the Cape Cod Commission, to seek watershed
permits. A watershed permit for these impaired watersheds will:
Provide the communities an opportunity to employ a greater range of solutions to address
their water quality needs. The permit covers not just traditional wastewater systems, but
also alternative approaches, such as fertilizer reduction, inlet restoration, aquaculture or
permeable reactive barriers;
Allow communities to get credit for the nitrogen reductions stemming from non-
traditional approaches and/or non-traditional technologies, credit they would not receive
through traditional permitting;
Account for the need for long-term strategies – such as this 20-year permit – necessary to
address wastewater issues – instead of the traditional five-year permits; and
Employ an adaptive management approach, acknowledging the uncertainties that may be
associated with some projects, and carefully monitoring performance and assessing
progress in a transparent fashion – and if necessary, making changes in the approach that
may be needed to achieve water quality goals in a timely manner.
Town of Barnstable 6-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
6.3 MONITORING PLAN
The following sections describe the Town’s approach to monitoring the effectiveness of the plan.
6.3.1 EMBAYMENT MONITORING
The Town of Barnstable will continue its yearly embayment monitoring. This will include
monitoring of water quality, eel grass coverage, and benthic infauna habitat, to verify that the
sewer extension and nitrogen remediation efforts are effective.
The embayment monitoring will be a long-term effort and will need to be a team effort between
the communities within the embayment watersheds and the Town.
The embayment monitoring program is divided into 5 sample events per summer season (2 in
July, 2 in August, and 1 in September), at 2 to 8 sample locations per estuary, for the following
parameters:
− Particulate Organic Nitrogen (PON)
− Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (DON)
− Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN)
− Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
− Chlorophyll a
− Secchi Depth
− Salinity
− Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
6.3.2 NON-TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS MONITORING
Monitoring plans for non-traditional solutions will be developed in consultation with DEP during
the permitting phase of each project.
6.4 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN
The Town of Barnstable’s CWMP focuses on implementation of a three phase and three stage
sewer expansion plan occurring over 30 years. The CWMP also includes various non-traditional
approaches and management solutions. The adaptive management approach allows for
modifications to the plan after evaluation of the result from the earlier phases. Adaptive
management also allows the Town to respond to changes environmental conditions, improved
technologies and future unknowns. The Town will prepare an adaptive management plan update
every five years which will provide an update on progress of the plan.
Town of Barnstable 6-8 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
6.5 NEXT STEPS
The Town will submit this plan to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA)
as an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) with request for a Single
Environmental Impact Report (SEIR). This submittal will initiate the formal review and
comment by local, regional, state and federal agencies, including the Cape Cod Commission’s
review of the CWMP for consistency with the 208 Plan. An EENF is subject to an extended 37-
day review period by MEPA office, consisting of a 30-day public comment period and 7 days to
issue a certificate. Upon receipt of the Secretary Certificate, the Town will respond to comments
from various agencies and public comments, finalize the SEIR, and submit the SEIR to MEPA
for final approval.
After the CWMP permitting process, the Town anticipates next steps to include:
Continue public outreach process.
Continue discussions relative to financial plan and other policy decisions.
Continue efforts towards effluent disposal solution(s).
Continue planning, design and begin construction of sewer expansion projects including
Route 28 sewer backbone to serve the western portion of the Town.
Continue planning, design and begin construction of Barnstable WPCF upgrades.
Continue planning, permitting, design and begin construction of non-traditional solutions.
o The Town anticipates submitting Notice of Project Change’s for future non-
traditional projects.
Continue discussions with neighboring communities relative to potential inter-municipal
partnerships and watershed permits within shared watersheds.
Continue discussions relative to Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) and other potential western
solutions.
Continue environmental monitoring and sampling.
The first 5-year adaptive management plan update, anticipated to be submitted in 2025, will
provide updates on progress the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan effort.
Town of Barnstable 7-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7 FINANCIAL PLAN
7.1 FUNDING SOURCES
7.1.1 MEALS AND ROOMS TAX.
Chapter 248 of the Acts of 2012 authorized the town of Barnstable to establish a Sewer
Construction Fund. The amount of local meals excise tax collected under section 2 of chapter
64L of the General Laws shall be credited to the fund without further appropriation. In addition,
the amount of local rooms excise based on rates in excess of four percent (4%) collected under
section 3A of chapter 64G of the General Laws are credited to the fund without further
appropriation. The town’s local rooms excise tax rate is currently six percent (6%) providing
one-third of all rooms tax to be credited to this fund. Any interest earned on the assets of the
fund are credited to the fund and not the General Fund.
This legislation was amended by Chapter 355 of the Acts of 2014 which expanded the use of the
fund allowing the town to appropriate monies in the Fund for sewer construction and
maintenance and improvements to certain private ways.
The legislation was amended a second time with Chapter 32 of the Acts of 2018 which allows
for the town to appropriate monies in the fund for planning, designing and construction of sewers
and other means of comprehensive wastewater management and maintenance and improvement
of private ways. The legislation refers to this Special Revenue Fund as the Sewer Construction
and Private Way
7.1.2 MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT FUND
At the close of fiscal year 2019, this fund had an unreserved fund balance of $14.1 million
available for appropriation and the annual revenue generated from the meals and rooms tax has
averaged $2.42 million and has grown by an average annual rate of 3.8%.
Town of Barnstable 7-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.1.3 SHORT-TERM RENTAL TAX
Legislation was signed into law in December, 2018 which expands the room occupancy excise,
G.L. c. 64G, to short-term rentals of property for more than 14 days in a calendar year, starting
July 1, 2019 for which a rental contract was entered into on or after January 1, 2019. It is
estimated that the additional rooms tax generated from this category of rental property will
eventually provide an additional $1 million per year to the town’s dedicated special revenue fund
once compliance when the new law matures.
7.1.4 STABILIZATION FUND
The Town’s General Fund would have been the beneficiary of an estimated $1.25 million
annually from the expansion of the rooms excise tax on short-term rentals. A new Stabilization
Fund has been approved to dedicate this new revenue stream to the comprehensive management
of the town’s water and wastewater needs and none of the revenue will be credited to the General
Fund.
7.1.5 CAPE COD & ISLANDS WATER PROTECTION FUND
Preliminary projections for revenue to be generated by the Cape Cod & Islands Water Protection
Fund (CCIWPF) amount to $18 million annually. A tax rate of 2.75% is applied to stays in
hotels, motels, B&B’s, other lodging establishments as well as short-term rental properties rented
in excess of 14 days in a calendar year. The revenue will be awarded to communities in the form
of principal subsidies on loans issued through the State Revolving Loan Program. It is estimated
that lodging establishments in the town of Barnstable could contribute in excess of $2.5 million
annually to this fund once it matures. Over the next 30 years it is estimated this fund could
generate in excess of $800 million.
7.1.6 SEWER ASSESSMENTS
Chapter 83 of the General Laws allows for the issuance of assessments to property abutters for a
proportional share of the cost for a common sewer. The town will make every effort to
maximize the number of property abutters on a specific sewer project to keep the proportional
share of the costs to the least amount possible. The town could set an upper limit on the sewer
assessments and subsidize them depending upon the amount of principal subsidies received from
the CCIWPF and tax revenue generated from meals and rooms taxes. A reasonable upper limit
may be defined as the average cost to replace a septic system.
Property owners have the option to pay the sewer assessment in full or apportion the cost to
future tax bills for up to 30 years under Chapter 83 of the General Laws. The interest rate
applied to the apportioned assessments is either 5%, or by vote of the Town Council, can be at a
Town of Barnstable 7-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
rate up to 2% above the net rate of interest chargeable to the town for the project to which the
assessment relates.
7.1.7 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGES
This is a fee in the utility industry that is charged to new customers of a utility system to pay for
the investments made into the “backbone” of a system. There are three (3) methods that could be
used to calculate the charge:
Historical buy-in method – typically used when the existing system has sufficient
capacity to serve new development now and into the future
Incremental cost method – typically used when the existing system has limited or no
capacity to serve new development and new facilities are needed to serve the next
increment of new development
Combined approach – typically used where some capacity is available in parts of the
existing system, but new or incremental capacity will need to be built in other parts to
serve new development in the near future
The financing plan includes a system development charge that would be paid at the time of
connection to the sewer system
7.1.8 DEBT ISSUANCE
When debt is necessary to finance capital improvements, the town either issues General
Obligation Bonds through the capital markets or obtains loans through state agencies such as the
Department of Environmental Protection’s Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (MCWT) that
offers municipal infrastructure financing programs at low interest rates, occasional principal
subsidies, and with attractive repayment terms.
The MCWT offers 0% loans for projects that contribute to nutrient enrichment reduction; 1.5%
loans for Housing Choice Communities and 2% loans as a standard option. The loans can be
amortized for up to 30 years provided the asset has a useful life exceeding that time period.
Project costs that are not financed through the MCWT will be financed with a General
Obligation Bond issue in the capital market. The town’s current bond rating is AAA and should
result in 20 year loan rates of approximately in the 4% to 6% range under current market
conditions.
Town of Barnstable 7-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.1.9 FEDERAL & STATE GRANTS
Most grants available from state and federal agencies for sewer infrastructure require target pilot
projects and innovative or “green” projects. Grants are typically not available for standard utility
infrastructure needs such as replacing sewer mains or building of pump stations to meet on-going
demand. Federal and State assistance has been directed to the MCWT to date which has allowed
for the favorable borrowing conditions mentioned previously. This financing plan assumes this
method of assistance will continue.
7.1.10 PROPERTY TAXES
The financial plan includes property taxes as a funding source for the program. It may be in the
form of an operating override dedicated for sewer expansion, a capital or debt exclusion to cover
some or all of a project’s cost, or a reprioritization of the existing tax levy for this purpose.
7.2 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE
WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
7.2.1 SEWER ENTERPRISE FUND
A separate enterprise fund already exists that accounts for all sewer related operations including
the collection, treatment, and disposal of effluent. As sewer expansion projects are completed
and properties are tied into the sewer system, property owners will begin to be billed the user
charge rates in existence for being part of the collection and treatment system. Capital
expenditures made to improve the existing treatment and collection system are built into the user
fee rate structure and will be accounted for in the enterprise fund.
The operating budget of the Sewer Enterprise Fund will include the debt service payments
required on all loans issued to finance the sewer expansion program. On an annual basis, the
fund will receive a transfer from the town’s Sewer Construction and Private Way Maintenance
and Improvement Fund (CWMPWIF) to pay for the annual debt service. It may also receive a
transfer from the new Stabilization Fund to help offset project costs or debt service as well as the
General Fund if property taxes are approved to cover any portion of the program.
7.2.2 SEWER CAPITAL FUND
A separate fund will be created within the enterprise fund structure to track all sewer expansion
project activity. This includes all appropriations made for sewer expansion projects and the
proceeds from the associated debt issuances to finance the project. As projects are completed the
Town of Barnstable 7-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
assets become part of the Sewer Enterprise Fund’s fixed asset listing and future costs to operate
and maintain the assets will be incorporated into the user fee rate structure.
7.2.3 SEWER ASSESSMENT FUND
A separate fund will be created within the enterprise fund structure to track all sewer assessments
receivable and sewer assessments collected. The annual operating budget of the Sewer Enterprise
Fund will receive a transfer from this fund to pay for the debt service issued to construct a sewer
collection expansion project.
7.2.4 SEWER CONSTRUCTION & PRIVATE WAY MAINTENANCE
AND IMPROVEMENT FUND
This is an existing fund within the town’s Special Revenue Fund structure. Revenue generated
from meals and rooms taxes and investment earnings on cash deposits are credited to this fund.
Project management costs incurred by the Department of Public Works and transfers to the
Sewer Enterprise Fund covering debt obligations will be appropriated from this fund on an
annual basis. The annual debt service associated with bond issues to finance the sewer
expansion program will be part of the Sewer Enterprise Fund requiring the transfer from this
fund.
7.2.5 STABILIZATION FUND
The new Stabilization Fund will be used to supplement the funding for the CWMP either in the
form of a cash appropriation or an annual transfer to the Sewer Enterprise Fund to pay for a
portion of the debt service on loans issued to finance sewer expansion projects.
Town of Barnstable 7-6 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.3 FINANCIAL PLAN ASSUMPTIONS AND FINANCIAL
PROFORMA
7.3.1 FINANCING THE CONSTRUCTION COST
The total construction costs for collection, conveyance, treatment, and disposal are projected to
be $863 million over a 30 year period. An estimated 9,812 new properties are expected to be
connected to the sewer system. This equates to an average parcel cost of $87,953. Recognizing
that this would be a financial hardship for propert y owners the town has created several funding
sources to offset the sewer assessments that will need to be issued to fund a portion of this plan.
The town will issue General Obligations Bonds to fund the construction on an annual basis over
the next 30 years. Bonds will be issued using a 20 year amortization period to save on borrowing
costs when cash flow allows. It is estimated the principal subsidies from the MCWT and the
CCIWPF could total $112 million over the next 30 years.
The MCWT offers loan rates of 0% on projects that address nutrient enrichment reduction; loan
rates of 1.5% for Housing Choice Communities (Barnstable qualifies), and standard loan rates of
2%. Additionally, the town has access the capital markets every year for the past several years
averaging a net interest rate of approximately 2.5%. The financial plan assumes bonds will be
issued with an average interest rate of 2%, amortized over 20 years using a level payment
amortization method.
7.3.2 SEWER CONSTRUCTION AND PRIVATE WAY MAINTENANCE
& IMPROVEMENT SPECIAL REVENUE FUND
The unreserved balance in this fund at the close of fiscal year 2019 was $14 million. The fund
currently generates $3.1 million in revenue with a current $500,000 per year obligation to debt
service for the Stewart’s Creek project. The annual net revenue capacity remaining ($2.6
million), along with the fund balance ($14 million), will allow the town to leverage a long-term
borrowing program of approximately $8 million per year with no sewer assessments.
7.3.3 CURRENT ROOMS AND MEALS TAX REVENUE
Currently, one-third of all rooms tax generated by the town and 100% of the local meals tax is
dedicated to this program and credited to the town’s Special Revenue Fund for Sewer
Construction and Private Way Maintenance & Improvements. Meals and rooms taxes are
projected to grow on average at 4% and 3% respectively per year. Below is the average rate of
growth over the past several years.
Town of Barnstable 7-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Table 7-1: Meals and Rooms Tax Projection
7.3.4 NEW – LOCAL ROOMS TAX ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS
It is estimated that the new local rooms tax on short-term rentals will take 4 years to mature and
it has been suggested by outside sources, that the tax will eventually approximate the rooms tax
generated on hotels, motels, B&B, and other lodging houses. By law, one-third of this revenue
will be credited to the town’s Special Revenue Fund for Sewer Construction and Private Way
Maintenance and Improvements and two-thirds is credited to the new Stabilization Fund
dedicated for the management of sewer and water. Once this revenue source matures it is
projected to grow at an average rate of 3% per year. The projected revenue from this source is as
follows:
Table 7-2: Short-term Rental Tax Projection
FY Meals Tax Change Rooms Tax Change
2012 $1,197,380 $822,891
2013 $1,255,113 4.82% $845,682 2.77%
2014 $1,302,329 3.76% $905,256 7.04%
2015 $1,369,762 5.18% $894,092 -1.23%
2016 $1,465,624 7.00% $933,975 4.46%
2017 $1,485,589 1.36% $975,535 4.45%
2018 $1,550,284 4.35% $991,379 1.62%
2019 $1,620,727 4.54% $1,017,522 2.64%
Average 4.43% Average 3.11%
Year
Stabilization
Fund
Sewer
construction &
Private Way
Maintenance &
Improvement
Fund Total
1 500,000$ 250,000$ 750,000$
2 700,000$ 350,000$ 1,050,000$
3 1,000,000$ 500,000$ 1,500,000$
4 1,500,000$ 750,000$ 2,250,000$
5 1,515,000$ 757,500$ 2,272,500$
Short-term Rental Tax Projection
Year 6 and after - 1% greater than the previous year
Town of Barnstable 7-8 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.3.5 CAPE COD & ISLANDS WATER PROTECTION FUND
A tax rate of 2.75% is applied to stays in hotels, motels, B&B’s, other lodging establishments as
well as short-term rental properties rented in excess of 14 days in a calendar year. The financial
plan assumes the short-term rental market could be as much as 75% of the current hotel/motel
market, which would result in a combined annual tax base of $483 million as illustrated below.
This would result in over $13 million annually for the CCIWPF and a projected $600 million
over 30 years. The financial plan assumes Barnstable would receive $112 million over a 30 year
period or 19%. This approximates what Barnstable is estimated to contribute to the CCIWPF
from lodging rentals within the town.
Table 7-3: CCIWPF Projection
7.3.6 INVESTMENT EARNINGS
Earnings on invested cash balances will average 1.5% per year. A mix of investment maturities
and types will be utilized offering the potential for higher yields based on current market
conditions. Security of principal will remain the number one priority, followed by liquidity and
yield.
7.3.7 SEWER ASSESSMENTS
Construction costs are estimated to be $863 million and include an estimated 9,812 parcels
resulting in an average per parcel cost of $87,953. This includes the cost of sewer mains, pumps
and collector lines as well as bringing roads back to their original condition. 13% of the project
costs are estimated to be covered by the CCIWPF resulting in the average per parcel costs
decreasing to $76,538. If the decision is to cap the sewer assessments at a predetermined level
such as the average cost to replace a septic system then a subsidy will be necessary. The subsidy
would come in the form of meals and rooms taxes contributed to funding the program, subsidies
from the CCIWPF and a contribution to the program from property taxes. The proforma includes
the assumption that sewer assessments would average $18,000; indexed for inflation, this would
increase to $31,965 by year 30 of the program.
Total Hotel/Motel room sales $276,355,504
Estimated STR market (75% of H/M) $207,266,628
Total subject to CCIWPF Tax $483,622,132
CCIWPF Rate 2.75%
Annual Projected Tax $13,299,609
Projected tax over 30 years $601,393,010
Barnstable principal subsidies $112,229,437
Barnstable's share of CCIWPF 19%
Town of Barnstable 7-9 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Property owners would have the option to apportion this cost over future tax bills for up to 30
years. The proforma includes the assumption that the entire assessment amount will be collected
over a 15 year period as it is more likely that most liens will be paid off in a shorter time period
due to refinancing activity and the transfer of ownership. This will reduce the amount of interest
collected on the assessments but improve the cash flow under the program. The fiscal impact on
a property owner who chooses to apportion the assessment of $18,000 over 30 years is $660
annually using a 2.5% interest rate; or $55 per month.
7.3.8 INTEREST RATE ON SEWER ASSESSMENTS AND
AMORTIZATION PERIOD
A property owner can pay a sewer assessment in full at the time it is billed or elect to apportion it
to future tax bills for up to 30 years if sewer assessments are conducted under chapter 83. If
apportioned, a lien is recorded against the property and interest is charged against the
outstanding balance of the assessment. The interest rate on the betterment defaults to 5% unless
legislative action is taken to establish it at a different rate. The Town Council can elect to set the
interest rate up to 2% more than the town’s interest rate it incurs on the borrowing to finance the
project. If the town receives a 2% loan from the MA Clean Water Trust the interest rate on the
assessment could be set anywhere from 2% to 4%.
Upon the sale of a property, usually all outstanding liens recorded are settled and paid in full.
Therefore, all interest that could have been earned on the assessment to offset any borrowing
costs the town incurs will not be realized. The proforma includes an assumption that the town
will collect interest on the first 15 years on sewer assessments. In most cases, a sale or
refinancing will most likely occur paying off any outstanding principal balance on a
betterment/sewer assessment. An estimated interest rate of 2.5% is used on the sewer
assessments.
7.3.9 FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS AND OTHER SOURCES
No direct federal or state grants to the town are included in the proforma. It is more likely that
any such aid will be directed to the MCWT and will be used to issue low interest loans and
possible principal subsidies. Any subsidies or direct aid will improve the bottom line in the
proforma.
Town of Barnstable 7-10 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.3.10 PROJECT COSTS
Project costs are estimated by the Department of Public Works to be $663 million in today’s
dollars. Indexed for inflation at 2.0% will increase the total costs to over $863 million. Project
costs will be separated between General Benefit Facilities (GBF) and Special Benefit Facilities
(SBF). The financial plan assumes the town will pay for GBF costs and only assess SBF costs to
property abutters. GBFs include, but are not limited to, pumping stations, trunk and force mains,
land acquisition, easements, and are assessed on all areas to receive benefits within the pumping
district or combination of districts. SBFs include, but are not limited to, the sewer mains serving
adjacent properties and are assessed only to the adjacent properties.
7.3.11 INTEREST RATES ON LONG-TERM BORROWING
Borrowing rates on bonds will average 2.0% assuming a mix of 0%, 1.5% and 2% SRF loans and
4% to 6% General Obligation Bonds (GOB) in the capital markets. If the town adopts Chapter
83; Section 1A it will be eligible for 0% financing from the MA Clean Water Trust and could
borrow and assess betterments for a term of up to 50 years or the useful life of the project,
whichever is shorter. Limited resources in the Trust could require the town to finance a portion
of the program with a General Obligation Bond (GOB) at an estimated interest rate of 4-6%. The
town’s last five GOB’s averaged a net interest cost of 2.25% which includes a mix of 5 to 20
year maturities. This program assumes all GOB’s will be comprised of 20 year maturities.
Longer amortization periods will result in higher interest rates on GOB borrowings so the 4-6%
range is used.
The town’s annual debt service costs will increase as a new bond issue is introduced every year
to cover the project costs not provided for with a grant from the CCIWPF.
7.3.12 OTHER COSTS
DPW will need staff to manage the implementation of a comprehensive sewer expansion
program. The town will also need a budget for other costs such as legal expenses and for possible
land acquisitions needed and other activities associated with implementing the plan. A provision
for these costs has been included in the proforma. No provision has been made for the taking of
private ways as public roads.
7.3.13 CONNECTION COSTS AND CONNECTION REQUIREMENT.
The cost to connect a property to the town’s sewer system would be paid by the homeowner. It
may be possible for the town to cover the cost of the connection and place a lien on the property
similar to the assessment process. This option will be explored as well as an option to create a
revolving loan fund that property owners could access to amortize the connection cost over
multiple years.
Town of Barnstable 7-11 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.3.14 LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE
There is no provision in this profroma to provide financial assistance to low income property
owners.
7.3.15 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGE
A system development charge (SDC) is a fee in the utility industry that is charged to new
customers of a utility system to pay for the investments made into the “backbone” of a system.
There are three (3) methods to calculate one;
Historical buy-in method – typically used when the existing system has sufficient
capacity to serve new development now and into the future
Incremental cost method – typically used when the existing system has limited or no
capacity to serve new development and new facilities are needed to serve the next
increment of new development
Combined approach – typically used where some capacity is available in parts of the
existing system, but new or incremental capacity will need to be built in other parts to
serve new development in the near future
The CWMP Financing Plans includes a $2,000 SDC that would be paid at the time of connection
to the sewer system. It is projected that this will raise over $19 million to offset a portion of the
investment in the collection and treatment facilities
7.3.16 SEWER UTILITY CHARGES
Over the next 30 years it is estimated that over 9,800 new customers will be tied into the public
sewer system creating a more robust customer base. This will result in an increase in the annual
revenue generated by the Sewer Enterprise Fund that can be used to finance a portion of the
treatment and disposal facility expansion. The current average residential bill is around $400. At
full buildout this would generate an additional $10 million annually to offset the cost of
operations and capital improvements.
Town of Barnstable 7-12 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 7-1: Growth in Sewer Connections
7.3.17 PROPERTY TAX CONTRIBUTION
This program will improve the town’s water resources and provide benefits for all property
owners in some way. A contribution from property taxes could be made to recognize this
benefit. It can either be from the existing tax levy base or from an increase in the levy approved
by the voters. The financial plan includes an assumption that an annual investment of
$3,000,000 will be needed on an annual basis by the second 10 year phase of the program. This
investment will begin in FY 2022 with a contribution of $300,000; increasing $300,000 per year
until it reaches $3 million by FY 2031.
The tax rate would be one cent ($0.01) for every $142,574 in property tax support. This is
arrived at by taking the current tax levy of $122,755,923.63 and dividing it by 861 (the current
single tax rate is $8.61). The creation of a stabilization fund with a ten (10) cent impact on the
tax rate would generate $1,425,737 in the first year and $36.4 million over a 20 year period. The
tax bill impact for this level of increase is $10 per year for every $100,000 in taxable assessed
value. The median value property in FY 2019 is $351,800. This would result in an annual tax
increase of $35.18 and $25.35 for a property qualifying for the residential exemption.
Town of Barnstable 7-13 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.3.18 DEBT LIMITATIONS
Except as otherwise provided by law, the town shall not authorize indebtedness to an amount
exceeding 5 per cent of the equalized valuation of the town. The town may authorize
indebtedness in excess of 5 per cent but not in excess of 10 per cent, of the aforesaid equalized
valuation; provided, however, that the amount of indebtedness so authorized shall be subject to
the approval of the members of the municipal finance oversight board, which approval may be
given either before or after such authorization. All authorized debts, except those expressly
authorized by law to be incurred outside the debt limit, shall be reckoned in determining the limit
of indebtedness under state law.
The town’s current equalized valuation for applying this test is $14,932,044,600. Five percent of
the EQV is $746,602,230. At no point in time does the town approach this level of outstanding
debt within this program.
7.4 SUMMARY
Based on the set of assumptions previously listed, the financial plan for the CWMP remains in a
positive fund balance position throughout the program. Steps taken by the town to date in
creating multiple funding sources results in those resources exceeding commitments for several
years and allows the town to grow its fund balance for this program. As the program is
implemented and construction bonds are issued the annual commitments for debt service and
project management will eventually exceed annual resources resulting in the use of fund balance
to offset the costs. This begins to happen in year 18 of the program and continues through year
25 until fund balance reaches its lowest level of approximately $12.5 million in year 26. At this
point, resources begin to outpace commitments again.
Town of Barnstable 7-14 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Figure 7-2: Cashflow Summary for CWMP
Table 7-4: Funding Sources
Funding Sources
Estimated Principal Subsidies on Bond Issues $112,229,437 11%
Sewer Assessments $255,764,639 24%
Investment Earnings $11,397,346 1%
Property taxes $70,500,000 7%
System Development Charges $19,624,000 2%
User Rate Revenue $128,524,045 12%
Rooms and Meals Taxes including STR $463,211,220 44%
Total funding sources $1,061,250,687 100%
Town of Barnstable 7-15 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
7.4.1 SUMMARY OF ASSUMPTIONS
Table 7-5: Inputs
Program Implementation Year 2020
Program Ending Year 2049
Years to Implement 30
Average Principal Subsidy on Debt Issues 13.00%
Average Interest Rate on Bonds 2.00%
Collection System Bond Amortization Period in Years 20
Treatment System Bond Amortization Period in Years 20
Average Sewer Assessment Charge $18,000
Inflation Factor on Sewer Assessment Charge 2.00%
Interest Rate on Sewer Assessments 2.50%
Sewer Assessment Amortization Period in Years 30
Sewer Assessments Maturity in Years 15
Growth Rate on Rooms Tax Revenue 3.00%
Growth Rate on Meals Tax Revenue 4.00%
Rate of Return on Investments 1.50%
Construction Cost Inflation Factor 2.00%
Project Management Inflation Factor 4.00%
New Short-term Rental Tax Revenue Estimate $2,250,000
Property Tax Contribution Ceiling $3,000,000
Annual Growth in Property Tax Contribution $300,000
Fiscal Year Property Tax Contribution Begins 2022
Fiscal Year Property Tax Contribution Ends 2056
System Development Charge $2,000
Average Residential Sewer Bill - Year 1 $400
Annual Increase in Sewer Rates 3.00%
INPUTS
Town of Barnstable 7-16 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Table 7-6: Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Funding Proforma COMPREHENSIVE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANFUNDING PROFORMA Years12345678910Fiscal Year2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029Beginning Fund Balance 17,647,010$ 16,641,755$ 19,163,139$ 21,403,226$ 24,973,883$ 28,405,802$ 30,533,731$ 29,112,981$ 29,817,415$ 27,596,542$ Resources:Hotel/Motel Rooms Tax 1/3 1,048,048 1,079,489 1,111,874 1,145,230 1,179,587 1,214,974 1,251,424 1,288,966 1,327,635 1,367,464 Meals Tax1,685,556 1,752,978 1,823,097 1,896,021 1,971,862 2,050,737 2,132,766 2,218,077 2,306,800 2,399,072 Short-term Rental Tax 250,000 350,000 500,000 2,250,000 2,317,500 2,387,025 2,458,636 2,532,395 2,608,367 2,686,618 Property Tax Contribution - - 300,000 600,000 900,000 1,200,000 1,500,000 1,800,000 2,100,000 2,400,000 Earnings on Investments 264,705 249,626 287,447 321,048 374,608 426,087 458,006 436,695 447,261 413,948 Existing Sewer Assessments 95,014 92,509 88,335 85,917 77,803 75,685 72,974 70,888 68,801 66,715 Assessments- - - - 355,889 355,889 633,590 1,980,622 2,046,431 3,280,888 User Charge Revenue- - 2,971 3,060 111,200 114,536 203,944 631,171 670,881 1,084,527 Systems Development Charge - - 14,000 - 480,000 - 360,000 1,712,000 82,000 1,508,000 Total Resources3,343,323 3,524,603 4,127,723 6,301,276 7,768,450 7,824,934 9,071,339 12,670,814 11,658,177 15,207,233 Commitments:Staffing200,000 208,000 316,320 428,973 446,132 463,977 582,536 605,838 630,071 655,274 Operating expenses- 10,000 10,400 10,816 11,249 11,699 12,167 12,653 13,159 13,686 Other costs- - 100,000 104,000 108,160 112,486 116,986 121,665 126,532 131,593 Existing Debt Service Payments 501,578 501,926 502,283 502,647 503,019 503,400 503,788 504,185 504,591 505,006 Estimated Debt Service on Collection System - 283,292 958,634 1,684,184 3,267,971 4,234,311 6,448,318 7,893,744 9,776,403 11,850,913 Estimated Debt Service on Treatment System - - - - - 371,132 2,828,294 2,828,294 2,828,294 2,852,013 Other Cash Program Commitments 3,647,000 - - - - - - - - - Total Current Year Commitments 4,348,578 1,003,218 1,887,637 2,730,620 4,336,530 5,697,005 10,492,089 11,966,380 13,879,050 16,008,484 Increase (Decrease) in Trust Fund Balance (1,005,255) 2,521,384 2,240,087 3,570,657 3,431,919 2,127,929 (1,420,750) 704,434 (2,220,873) (801,252) Ending Trust Fund Balance 16,641,755$ 19,163,139$ 21,403,226$ 24,973,883$ 28,405,802$ 30,533,731$ 29,112,981$ 29,817,415$ 27,596,542$ 26,795,291$ Project Costs$7,316,766 22,867,742$ 13,805,447$ 41,307,729$ 18,832,576$ 48,587,031$ 73,348,173$ 35,384,113$ 38,989,895$ 18,486,901$ Cape cod & Islands Water Protection Fund subsidies ($951,180) ($2,972,806) ($1,794,708) ($5,370,005) ($2,448,235) ($6,316,314) ($9,535,262) ($4,599,935) ($5,068,686) ($2,403,297)Net Bond Issue$6,365,586 $19,894,936 $12,010,739 $35,937,724 $16,384,341 $42,270,717 $63,812,911 $30,784,178 $33,921,209 $16,083,604
Town of Barnstable 7-17 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan COMPREHENSIVE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANFUNDING PROFORMA Years11121314151617181920Fiscal Year2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039Beginning Fund Balance 26,795,291$ 27,408,347$ 29,479,965$ 30,516,735$ 32,084,590$ 33,062,227$ 33,663,186$ 33,885,576$ 33,727,974$ 32,833,569$ Resources:Hotel/Motel Rooms Tax 1/3 1,408,488 1,450,743 1,494,265 1,539,093 1,585,266 1,632,824 1,681,809 1,732,263 1,784,231 1,837,758 Meals Tax2,495,035 2,594,836 2,698,630 2,806,575 2,918,838 3,035,591 3,157,015 3,283,296 3,414,627 3,551,212 Short-term Rental Tax 2,767,216 2,850,233 2,935,740 3,023,812 3,114,526 3,207,962 3,304,201 3,403,327 3,505,427 3,610,589 Property Tax Contribution 2,700,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 Earnings on Investments 401,929 411,125 442,199 457,751 481,269 495,933 504,948 508,284 505,920 492,504 Existing Sewer Assessments 64,628 62,542 62,542 62,542 - - - - - - Assessments4,621,862 6,040,756 6,661,015 7,621,531 8,181,891 8,753,458 9,336,457 9,931,115 10,181,778 10,800,460 User Charge Revenue 1,548,729 2,056,418 2,321,709 2,709,738 2,978,592 3,261,137 3,557,955 3,869,647 4,196,838 4,540,178 Systems Development Charge 1,606,000 1,666,000 714,000 1,084,000 620,000 620,000 620,000 620,000 620,000 620,000 Total Resources17,613,888 20,132,653 20,330,100 22,305,042 22,880,382 24,006,906 25,162,384 26,347,931 27,208,820 28,452,702 Commitments:Staffing681,485 708,744 737,094 766,578 797,241 829,130 862,296 896,788 932,659 969,965 Operating expenses14,233 14,802 15,395 16,010 16,651 17,317 18,009 18,730 19,479 20,258 Other costs136,857 142,331 148,024 153,945 160,103 166,507 173,168 180,094 187,298 194,790 Existing Debt Service Payments 505,430 505,862 306,986 307,438 - - - - - - Estimated Debt Service on Collection System 12,810,815 13,783,299 14,896,694 16,015,276 17,156,229 18,320,001 19,507,049 20,717,838 21,952,843 23,212,548 Estimated Debt Service on Treatment System 2,852,013 2,905,996 3,189,137 3,477,941 3,772,520 4,072,992 4,379,473 4,692,083 5,010,946 5,336,186 Other Cash Program Commitments - - - - - - - - - - Total Current Year Commitments 17,000,832 18,061,035 19,293,330 20,737,187 21,902,744 23,405,947 24,939,995 26,505,533 28,103,225 29,733,748 Increase (Decrease) in Trust Fund Balance 613,056 2,071,618 1,036,770 1,567,855 977,637 600,959 222,390 (157,602) (894,405) (1,281,046) Ending Trust Fund Balance 27,408,347$ 29,479,965$ 30,516,735$ 32,084,590$ 33,062,227$ 33,663,186$ 33,885,576$ 33,727,974$ 32,833,569$ 31,552,523$ Project Costs18,277,602$ 21,940,583$ 26,345,028$ 26,871,929$ 27,409,368$ 27,957,555$ 28,516,705$ 29,087,039$ 29,668,780$ 30,262,156$ Cape cod & Islands Water Protection Fund subsidies ($2,376,088) ($2,852,276) ($3,424,853) ($3,493,350) ($3,563,218) ($3,634,482) ($3,707,171) ($3,781,315) ($3,856,941) ($3,934,081)Net Bond Issue$15,901,514 $19,088,307 $22,920,175 $23,378,579 $23,846,150 $24,323,073 $24,809,534 $25,305,724 $25,811,839 $26,328,075
Town of Barnstable 7-18 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan COMPREHENSIVE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLANFUNDING PROFORMA Years21222324252627282930Fiscal Year2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049Beginning Fund Balance 31,552,523$ 29,607,235$ 26,208,202$ 22,940,314$ 19,422,811$ 15,930,608$ 12,351,226$ 12,829,787$ 13,876,010$ 16,351,435$ Resources:Hotel/Motel Rooms Tax 1/3 1,892,891 1,949,677 2,008,168 2,068,413 2,130,465 2,194,379 2,260,210 2,328,017 2,397,857 2,469,793 Meals Tax3,693,261 3,840,991 3,994,631 4,154,416 4,320,593 4,493,417 4,673,153 4,860,079 5,054,483 5,256,662 Short-term Rental Tax 3,718,907 3,830,474 3,945,389 4,063,750 4,185,663 4,311,233 4,440,570 4,573,787 4,711,000 4,852,330 Property Tax Contribution 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 Earnings on Investments 473,288 444,109 393,123 344,105 291,342 238,959 185,268 192,447 208,140 245,272 Existing Sewer Assessments - - - - - - - - - - Assessments11,153,816 10,450,461 11,041,203 10,474,268 9,596,023 8,649,112 8,510,276 8,040,812 7,981,324 7,920,647 User Charge Revenue 4,900,341 5,278,028 5,673,965 6,088,120 6,441,518 6,810,641 7,196,114 7,598,585 8,018,729 8,457,242 Systems Development Charge 620,000 620,000 620,000 618,000 420,000 420,000 420,000 420,000 420,000 420,000 Total Resources29,452,504 29,413,741 30,676,479 30,811,072 30,385,604 30,117,741 30,685,592 31,013,727 31,791,533 32,621,946 Commitments:Staffing1,008,764 1,049,115 1,091,079 1,134,722 1,180,111 1,227,316 1,276,408 1,327,465 1,380,563 1,435,786 Operating expenses21,068 21,911 22,788 23,699 24,647 25,633 26,658 27,725 28,834 29,987 Other costs202,582 210,685 219,112 227,877 236,992 246,472 256,330 266,584 277,247 288,337 Existing Debt Service Payments - - - - - - - - - - Estimated Debt Service on Collection System 24,497,447 25,524,752 26,186,219 26,089,871 25,147,870 24,836,152 23,289,859 22,525,502 21,337,533 19,971,607 Estimated Debt Service on Treatment System 5,667,931 6,006,311 6,425,169 6,852,405 7,288,186 7,361,551 5,357,775 5,820,229 6,291,932 6,749,350 Other Cash Program Commitments - - - - - - - - - - Total Current Year Commitments 31,397,792 32,812,773 33,944,368 34,328,575 33,877,806 33,697,123 30,207,031 29,967,503 29,316,109 28,475,067 Increase (Decrease) in Trust Fund Balance (1,945,288) (3,399,032) (3,267,889) (3,517,503) (3,492,203) (3,579,382) 478,561 1,046,223 2,475,425 4,146,879 Ending Trust Fund Balance 29,607,235$ 26,208,202$ 22,940,314$ 19,422,811$ 15,930,608$ 12,351,226$ 12,829,787$ 13,876,010$ 16,351,435$ 20,498,313$ Project Costs30,867,399$ 31,484,747$ 19,698,047$ 20,092,008$ 20,493,848$ 20,903,724$ 21,321,799$ 21,748,235$ 22,183,200$ 22,626,864$ Cape cod & Islands Water Protection Fund subsidies ($4,012,762) ($4,093,017) ($2,560,746) ($2,611,961) ($2,664,200) ($2,717,484) ($2,771,834) ($2,827,271) ($2,883,816) ($2,941,492)Net Bond Issue$26,854,637 $27,391,730 $17,137,301 $17,480,047 $17,829,648 $18,186,240 $18,549,965 $18,920,964 $19,299,384 $19,685,372
Town of Barnstable 7-19 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
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Town of Barnstable 8-1 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
8 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
8.1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this section of the report is to identify the environmental impacts of the
“Recommended Plan” (as described in Sections 5 and 6) and the “No Action Plan”. Impacts are
considered for both initial project construction and long-term project operation.
8.2 ALTERNATIVES TO THE RECOMMENDED PLAN
The purpose of the CWMP is to address the wastewater management needs of the Town. One
key element of the plan is meeting the nitrogen-based TMDL regulatory requirements outlined
for the Lewis Bay watershed, Centerville River watershed, Three Bays watershed, Popponesset
Bay watershed and the Millway subwatershed of the Barnstable Harbor watershed. Additional
wastewater management elements considered in the Recommended Plan include protection of
drinking water supplies (public and private), protection of freshwater ponds, and maintaining
sanitary conditions and aesthetics. The Town has considered its wastewater management needs
on a watershed-by-watershed basis and has compiled these needs into the Recommended Plan, as
described in other sections of this report. Refinements to the Recommended Plan (e.g.,
additional effluent disposal locations, regional partnerships, etc.) will be ongoing and reported in
subsequent plan updates, the first of which will be submitted in 2025.
The only alternative to the Recommended Plan identified by the Town is the No Action Plan.
The No Action Plan involves the continued reliance on private on-lot wastewater disposal
systems (e.g., standard Title 5 systems which do not address nitrogen removal, surface water
protection or drinking water supply protection from contaminants of emerging concern) for large
areas of town and the continued reliance on the existing Barnstable Water Pollution Control
Facility (BWPCF) without additional nutrient removal upgrades.
8.3 ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Impacts of the plans under consideration fall in the general categories of "direct", "indirect" and
"cumulative". The direct impacts are those that occur as a direct result of either the construction
of the proposed wastewater facilities, or their ongoing operation. The indirect impacts are those
land use or demographic changes that eventually occur as a result of implementation of the plans,
or as a consequence of taking no action. Cumulative effects result from the incremental impact of
Town of Barnstable 8-2 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
the proposed project when added to other past, present, or future actions, regardless of who
undertakes those other actions.
This section of the report identifies impacts for a wide range of environmental issues. Impacts
are discussed as either "short-term" (generally related to project construction) or "long-term"
(generally related to on-going operations of the completed plan).
8.3.1 SURFACE WATER QUALITY
No significant negative short-term impacts on surface water quality are expected as a result of
the plan implementation. There is the possibility of erosion and sedimentation problems during
the construction of sewers or the facilities for treatment and disposal, but those impacts will be
closely controlled by requiring appropriate construction techniques and with close contractor
oversight.
There are significant long-term benefits for surface water quality associated with the
Recommended Plan and there are major detriments to the No Action Plan. The major driving
force behind this project is the current and expected future overloading of coastal waters from
wastewater-related nitrogen and the analogous wastewater-related phosphorus loading problems
in selected freshwater ponds. Based on confirmatory model runs conducted by the Massachusetts
Estuaries Project (MEP), the Recommended Plan will result in compliance with nitrogen-based
TMDLs and will result in reduced phosphorus loadings where important to pond quality.
Additional long-term benefits of water quality improvements include improved swimming,
fishing and boating activities; better environmental health with respect to eelgrass and bottom
fauna; and preservation of tourism, fisheries and property values.
A potential long-term impact includes differential inter-/intra-basin transfer. Under the proposed
plan, water will be removed from some watersheds and disposed of in the same or different
watersheds based on the applicable effluent disposal method (septic vs Barnstable Water
Pollution Control Facility (BWPCF)) and location (BWPCF). Generally, this inter-/intra-basin
transfer volume is a relatively small percentage of the total recharge volume. Being that there
are multiple water purveyors in the Town, the potential impacts on water purveyors will need to
be confirmed as effluent disposal scenarios are further developed.
8.3.2 GROUNDWATER QUALITY
No short-term impacts on groundwater quality are expected as a result of the plan
implementation.
The elimination of septic systems that will occur under the Recommended Plan will result in
long-term improvements in groundwater quality. It is that improvement in groundwater quality
that will eventually lead to better surface water quality, as groundwater moves from inland areas
Town of Barnstable 8-3 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
to coastal discharge areas, or toward ponds from tributary areas. The plan provides for sewering
in Zone II water supply protection areas of several public water supply wells which will reduce
threats to groundwater quality associated with nitrogen and contaminants of emerging concerns
within the Zone II areas. These threats continue in a No Action Plan.
8.3.3 WETLANDS
There are mapped wetlands within the Town of Barnstable. The Town intends to locate its
wastewater piping in public roadways, public rights-of-way or private roadways (with
permission and easements) and intends to locate its wastewater pumping stations outside of
wetlands. None of the project work identified to date is expected to impact wetlands directly;
however, some of the improvements may encroach on buffers around regulated wetlands. The
Conservation Commission will review these elements and address potential impacts by
implementation of standard mitigation measures. No significant short-term or long-term wetland
impacts are expected under the Recommended Plan.
8.3.4 FLOODPLAINS
Some of the properties in the Recommended Plan are located within the 100-year or 500-year
floodplain. There may be a need to locate a few private and/or public pumping stations in
floodplains, but those structures would be small, they would be flood-proofed, and they would
pose little impact on potential floods. Any pumping station structures located in floodplains will
consider the implications of sea level rise in terms of constructed elevations. The Town will
consider limited use of low-pressure sewer systems in flood prone areas, or areas with very
shallow groundwater, if necessary to avoid negative impacts to the public infrastructure. Neither
of the plans is expected to have any significant short-term or long-term impacts on floodplains.
8.3.5 COASTAL RESOURCES
Coastal resources include beaches and other swimming areas, commercial/recreational
shellfishing areas, and marine/estuarine habitat. Barnstable has one Area of Critical
Environmental Concern (the Sandy Neck/Barnstable Harbor ACEC). No construction is
anticipated in the coastal resources, although sewer construction to address nutrient loading to
the Millway subwatershed in the Barnstable Harbor watershed will be close to the ACEC area.
The Recommended Plan provides protection for these resources, primarily through improved
water quality. Conversely, the No Action Plan allows current water quality degradation to
continue.
8.3.6 OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION
The Recommended Plan is not expected to have any direct short-term or long-term impacts on
designated open space and recreation.
Town of Barnstable 8-4 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
8.3.7 RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES
The Recommended Plan will include work that crosses areas that are identified as Natural
Heritage and Endangered Species (NHESP) Priority and Estimated Habitats. No assessment of
Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) regulatory implications has been completed to
date. As noted above, the Town intends to locate its wastewater piping in public roadways,
public rights-of-way or private roadways (with permission and easements) and intends to locate
its wastewater pumping stations outside of wetlands and away from priority habitat, where
feasible. The Town will conduct more detailed NHESP and MESA reviews prior to moving
forward with permitting and preliminary design of Phase 1 projects.
8.3.8 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES
As noted above, the Town intends to locate its wastewater piping in public roadways, public
rights-of-way or private roadways (with permission and easements) and intends to locate its
wastewater pumping stations directly adjacent to rights-of-ways, where feasible. The candidate
project sites for sewers, pump stations, forcemains, treatment facilities and disposal sites will be
reviewed against available mapping of such resources at the Massachusetts Historical
Commission (MHC) prior to initiating permitting and preliminary design activities.
Areas north of Route 6 in Sandwich are within the Old Kings Highway Regional Historic
District. A small portion of the sewer service area is located in this District. Above-grade
structures that are to be located within the District will be designed with architectural features
consistent with District standards and will be subject to the review of the Barnstable Old King’s
Highway Historic District Committee.
Town of Barnstable 8-5 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
8.3.9 TRAFFIC
One of the most significant direct short-term impacts of any infrastructure project is the traffic
congestion resulting from construction activities in or near public and private roadways. As
noted above, the Town intends to locate its wastewater piping in public roadways, public rights-
of-way or private roadways (with permission and easements) and intends to locate its wastewater
pumping stations adjacent to rights-of-way whenever possible. The Town will take a proactive
approach to mitigating construction-related traffic, including the follow specific concepts:
Segment the work to avoid disruption of lengthy stretches of principal roads at any
one time.
Consider night construction in areas of high traffic outside of residential areas.
Consider locating wastewater piping with other utilities under bike paths when
feasible and consistent with local planning.
Have a well-developed public outreach approach for residents, businesses and
visitors.
Have a focused public input approach, including the potential for weekly construction
meetings, for those residents, businesses and visitors directly impacted by
construction.
Generally schedule work when traffic is less intense, when possible.
There will be long-term traffic impacts as well. These long-term impacts include the relatively
small increase in vehicles trips to/from the BWPCF for normal operation and maintenance
activities as well as chemical deliveries and sludge removal, however, these long-term impacts
also include a significant increase in vehicles trips in the community due to additional growth
through the planning period. The Town will need to assess the implications of growth on traffic
in the permitting and design phase of projects.
8.3.10 AIR QUALITY
Construction vehicles can be the source of added air emissions and represent a direct short-term
impact. Dust from construction sites is another common source of air quality concern. These
impacts are generally mitigated by requiring appropriate construction techniques and with close
contractor oversight.
Long-term impacts include the potential from odor releases from treatment plants and pump
stations as well as air emissions from vehicles accessing any of the treatment plant and pump
station sites for normal operations. None of these sources of air emissions is considered
significant, since all can be subject to routine odor control equipment.
Town of Barnstable 8-6 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
8.3.11 NOISE
Much like air quality, noise impacts can occur both during construction and as a result of routine
operation. As a direct short-term impact, construction noise is unavoidable. Noise controls on
construction equipment are available and are required to mitigate noise during construction. The
Town will consider restricting work hours on construction sites near residential areas.
Pumps, blowers, standby generators, ventilation systems and other equipment emit noise at
treatment plants and pump stations. All can be fitted with noise control devices that are largely
successful in avoiding nuisance noise conditions. The use of earthen berms and vegetated
buffers can help limit off-site noise impacts. Noise mitigation will be considered in the design
phase with input from the Town.
8.3.12 EROSION CONTROL
During construction, temporary erosion control measures will be warranted to avoid sediment
migration. This is commonly achieved with the use of hay bales, siltation fencing, and geotextile
materials. Storm events and construction dewatering would warrant the use of these controls.
During the design process, detailed drawings and specifications will outline the controls required
to be used by the construction contractor. Drawings and specifications will meet with regulatory
standards such as the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Storm
Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP).
8.3.13 WASTE MATERIAL
During the construction process, waste materials will be generated including, brush, excess soil
material and construction debris (e.g., scraps of wood, metal, and plastics). These materials will
be collected and removed from the construction sites by the contractor at periodic intervals.
Collection and removal of such material must be by authorized individuals.
8.3.14 EXISTING VEGETATION
During the construction process, clearing of existing vegetation will be required to make room
for some of the wastewater treatment and/or pumping structures. The extent of clearing will be
minimized to that required to construct and permanently operate the facility; areas outside of this
limit of construction will be preserved in their natural state. Disturbed areas will be re-vegetated
with the same or similar species as were initially present except in cases where supplemental
vegetation is desired for visual or noise buffers for adjacent properties. Protecting existing
vegetation will be given careful consideration during the permitting and design phase of specific
projects.
Town of Barnstable 8-7 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
8.3.15 ENERGY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
The Recommended Plan and the No Action Plan will result in continued and increased long-term
electrical energy and fossil fuel use related to septic systems, I/A systems, sewer system
conveyance pumping, wastewater treatment, effluent disposal and sludge disposal.
The “Revised MEPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy and Protocol” (Massachusetts EOEEA,
effective dated May 2010) outlines requirements for a detailed, site-specific greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions comparative analysis. However, given that there are several big-picture items
that warrant further consideration (e.g., the number and location of pump stations, the number
and location of effluent disposal facilities, the extent of regionalization with abutting
municipalities in shared watersheds, etc.), it is premature to complete the type of GHG emissions
analysis envisioned in the policy document at this time. Instead, a preliminary GHG emissions
review was conducted.
The approach used in this preliminary GHG emissions analysis was to apply unit emission rates
to the town-wide estimates of the number of septic system, the number of I/A systems and the
number of sewer connections under two conditions: “pre-CWMP” and “post-CWMP”. Under
both conditions, growth and economic development were excluded. Said another way, this
analysis identifies the change in GHG emissions associated with implementing the CWMP for
the existing level of development. The unit emissions rates were developed based on a literature
search. The town-wide GHG emissions estimates for the two conditions are as follows: Pre-
CWMP at 10,900,000 kg CO2-eq/year; and Post-CWMP: 14,700,000 kg CO2-eq/year. This
preliminary GHG emissions analysis indicates that implementation of the CWMP will result in
an estimated 35% increase in GHG emissions. This is the net result of a 52% in emissions from
septic systems and a 93% increase in emissions from centralized wastewater treatment. Refer to
Appendix RR for supporting information.
Energy use during construction of the Recommended Plan is unavoidable.
The Recommended Plan will utilize energy-efficient processes to perform collection, treatment
and disposal in a reliable manner to help mitigate increases GHG emissions. The following
GHG emission reduction measures will be considered during the design and construction phases:
Use the most current version of the Massachusetts State Building Code and
Sustainable Development Principles during the design phase;
Use Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and/or Envision
principles as a guide during the design phase;
Use high-efficiency treatment equipment and processes and minimize intermediate
pumping systems;
Town of Barnstable 8-8 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Use variable frequency drives and instrumentation systems to match process needs
with process equipment delivery rates (e.g., liquid flow, aeration flow, ventilation
rates);
Implement water conservation strategies and potential effluent reuse strategies, if
customers step forward, to offset needs to create an equivalent amount of potable
water;
Use design strategies to minimize the potential for infiltration/inflow to enter the
collection system;
Consider design strategies to minimize need for chemicals and odor control systems;
Consider use of peak shaving and load shifting strategies;
Minimize building footprints;
Orient buildings to maximize natural lighting, to maximize the potential for shading
(to minimize heat gain) and to maximize the potential for solar photovoltaic/ solar hot
water systems opportunities;
Use heat recovery systems to capture waste heat from the WWTF processes for
ventilation systems;
Use motion sensors for interior lighting and climate control;
Use demand control ventilation strategies and energy efficient heating systems;
Improve building envelopes including the potential for lower U-values windows and
more insulation than required by the building code (e.g., walls, attics, windows;
ductwork; hot water piping);
Consider high albedo roofing systems/colors that are solar-ready;
Consider use of additional on-site power generation (e.g., solar photovoltaic, wind
turbine and combined heat and power), if economically viable;
Consider requiring contractors to use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuels and emissions
controls for construction equipment; and
Restrict idling for non-essential construction equipment.
8.3.16 GENERATION OF SOLID WASTE
All treatment plants, regardless of size and location, generate solid wastes in the form of grit,
screenings and excess biosolids. These solids wastes will be disposed of in accordance with
local, state and federal laws.
All properties that continue to be served by on-site septic system will continue to have septage
pumped and disposed of off-site in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Both the Recommended Plan and the No Action Plan will result in the continued and increased
transport and treatment of septage sludges. While there will be a decrease in the volume of
septage sludge under the Recommended Plan, there will be an increase in the volume of
Town of Barnstable 8-9 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
wastewater treatment sludge. Generation of solid waste is considered neutral between the
Recommended Plan and the No Action Plan.
8.3.17 PUBLIC HEALTH
All properties that continue to be served via on-site septic systems will be managed in
accordance with Massachusetts Title 5. Public health issues are considered neutral between the
Recommended Plan and the No Action Plan.
8.3.18 COMMUNITY GROWTH AND LAND USE
If the community does not take proacticve actions, the construction of public sewers could allow
for unintended growth. The Town intends to mitigate the potential for unintended growth
through the implementation of smart zoning. That will require closely coordinating growth and
wastewater flow projections with the Local Comprehensive Plan, which is currently being
updated (last published in 2010). In certain areas, this may include the implementation of flow-
neutral, or net-flow-neutral, regulations consistent with the requirements of the DEP 0% SRF
loan requirements. Given this approach, no significant indirect impacts are expected related to
community growth or development of land beyond what would occur under the No Action Plan.
8.3.19 ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
The Town’s beaches and coastal marshes represent a significant component of the town’s
character. The Town will need to continue to monitor climate science and climate change
guidance issued by the Commonwealth. The Town will need to continue activities such as long-
term beach and marsh monitoring, and long-term beach nourishment. The Town will consider
the following modifications to the planning and permitting processes to manage development is
vulnerable areas. The Town is actively studying the implications of sea level rise on the
discharge capacity of the Barnstable WPCF rapid infiltration basins.
As it pertains to wastewater infrastructure, the Town will:
Locate above-grade portions of septic systems and I/A systems, as applicable, outside
of or above the flood elevation.
Consider the use of low-pressure lift stations and low-pressure sewers in areas
susceptible to sea level rise as this will minimize the public expenditure and require
the pumping system to be directly associated with the private property.
Give preference to pump station sites that are more than 3 feet above the 100-year
flood elevation. Flood protect those pump stations that cannot meet this preference.
Give preference to treatment and disposal sites that are more than 6 feet above the
100-year flood elevation. Flood protect those sites that cannot meet this preference.
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8.4 PERMITTING AND APPROVALS
There are numerous regulatory programs with permitting and approval requirements that apply to
the planning, design and implementation of the Recommended Plan. These include:
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulatory review and approval of the
CWMP.
Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review, which require an
Environmental Notification Form and likely an Environmental Impact Report.
Cape Cod Commission (CCC) review under the 208 Plan Consistency Review
requirements.
Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (pursuant to the
Massachusetts Endangered Species Act), Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife, Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act, and Massachusetts Historical
Commission reviews need to be conducted. These reviews are typically incorporated
into the MEPA review process.
DEP Groundwater Discharge Permits for new treatment and disposal sites under 314
CMR 5.0. A groundwater discharge permit is required for each treatment facility and
its associated effluent disposal site(s).
DEP Reclaimed Water Permit for potential effluent reuse site(s) under 314 CMR
20.0. Reclaimed water permits are required for treatment facility(s) and associated
effluent reuse site(s).
Potential DEP Watershed Permits for watersheds with TMDLs, if determined to be
necessary by DEP to ensure compliance with the TMDL reports.
DEP Plan Review for proposed traditional wastewater infrastructure, once plans and
specifications have been prepared.
DEP Site Assignment under MGL Chapter 83, Section 6 and 310 CMR 16.00 for any
new publicly-owned wastewater treatment and disposal site.
DEP Sewer Extension Permits for sewer system expansion after completion of the
first phase.
Department of Transportation (DOT) permits/approvals for construction in State
roads.
Activities must be consistent with the Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Sandy
Neck/ Barnstable Harbor ACEC), where applicable.
Activities must be consistent with the requirements of the Old Kings Highway
Regional Historic District, where applicable.
Activities must be consistent with the permits and requirements of the Town’s
Planning Board, Conservation Commission and Historic District Commission.
The Town must issue building permits for treatment facilities and pumping stations
after compliance with the State Building Code is demonstrated.
Town of Barnstable 8-11 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
Compliance with these programs must be demonstrated at various stages of project development.
8.5 MITIGATION MEASURES
The Town will consider and implement the numerous mitigation measures outlined in this
section of the CWMP during the permitting and design phases of projects.
8.6 IMPLICATIONS OF A “NO ACTION PLAN”
In addition to significant regulatory issues, and potential legal challenges, the No Action Plan
will result in continued deterioration of surface water quality (coastal estuarine and freshwater
ponds), continued reliance on septic system discharges within Zone II public water supply
protection areas and other sensitive areas, restrictions on targeted economic development in
planned growth areas, and the potential for reductions in property values in the long-term. The
economy of Town of Barnstable, like the rest of Cape Cod, is heavily reliant on seasonal
tourism, which is attracted to the community to enjoy the picturesque natural water bodies.
Continued degradation to these natural resources would have a crippling long-term impact on the
community. The Town of Barnstable considers the “No Action Plan” highly undesirable,
irresponsible and certainly inconsistent with the Local Comprehensive Plan of the Town and the
Cape Cod community at large.