Clean Water Advisory Committee

Executive Summary

The goal of this plan is to mitigate water quality impairments, restore marine habitats, and to bring the coastal waters associated with Wellfleet Harbor into compliance with the Clean Water Act.  The plan is the product of over ten years of planning and engineering studies and integrates the approaches developed by the Cape Cod 208 Water Quality Plan Update.  It is based upon a hybrid approach that integrates both traditional and non-traditional technologies to reduce excessive nitrogen loads.  The plan prioritizes those technologies that have lower costs, quicker results, provide local co-benefits (including jobs), and minimize climate impacts.  It includes an adaptive management plan that provides for a full evaluation of emerging nature-based technologies backed up with conventional wastewater treatment systems.

The plan includes five phases (five years each) over a 25-year period.  The first phase includes installation of a new generation of innovative & alternative (I&A) septic systems, the development of a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) pilot project along Commercial Street, the development of a sustainable shellfish program, stormwater retrofits at Route 6, and the construction of a neighborhood-scale wastewater treatment plant to facilitate an affordable housing project at 95 Lawrence Road.

The second and subsequent phases call for expansion of these strategies based upon performance during the first pilot phase.  Contingent upon MADEP's approval of the I&A septic technologies for "general use" these systems would be required for all upgrades, expansions, repairs, new construction, and real estate transfers.  The hybrid plan includes contingencies for the construction of traditional sewers and a wastewater treatment plant to supplement the earlier phases of the plan to meet water quality goals.

    Members

    NameTitleTerm
    Curt Felix

    Chair

    06/30/2022

    Fred Vanderschmidt

    Vice-Chair

    6/30/2024

    John Cumbler

    Member

    06/30/2023

    Richard Wulsin

    Member

    6/30/2024

    Vacancy .

    Member

    06/30/2020

    Vacancy .

    Member

    6/30/2021