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Key Topics A. Introduction – Science-based Adaptive Management Brief Summaries (30 minutes) Centralized Sewer System

Overview of Forum. Key Topics A. Introduction – Science-based Adaptive Management Brief Summaries (30 minutes) Centralized Sewer System Decentralized Wastewater and Nitrogen Management a. Cluster systems – New Silver Beach etc. b. Waterless & Urine Diverting Toilets

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Key Topics A. Introduction – Science-based Adaptive Management Brief Summaries (30 minutes) Centralized Sewer System

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  1. Overview of Forum • Key Topics • A. Introduction – Science-based Adaptive Management • Brief Summaries (30 minutes) • Centralized Sewer System • Decentralized Wastewater and Nitrogen Management • a. Cluster systems – New Silver Beach etc. • b. Waterless & Urine Diverting Toilets • c. Home-scale Denitrifying Septic Component • d. Surface N management • e. Permeable Reactive Barriers3. Estuary Management – Inlet widening, oyster & quahogs4. Sample Cost Comparisons, Scheduling and Timing of Impact5. Article 50 – November 15, 2010 Town Meeting Warrant • General Discussions (45+ minutes)

  2. Typical Existing House – Water & Nitrogen Flows 82.5% 6.5% 11.0% N N N

  3. 97% of Houses Currently With Septic Tanks or Cesspools

  4. 3% of Houses Currently Connected to Existing Sewer

  5. The Good News is: • The Cape is the advantage of being one county, and one bioregion with defined borders. • The Cape has put very few resources into its wastewater infrastructure; thus we can basically start from scratch in our planning and designing our systems. • The Cape has a highly educated population. • The Best News is: • There are low tech systems available now that can reduce the N load as well as capture the ‘waste’ resources for reuse. These systems are highly efficient, extremely resilient and adaptive as well as low in installation and maintenance costs, now and into the future. • There is wide agreement about the technical effectiveness of these systems. • The Cape could become a model county in which the citizens can thrive and from which the world can learn. • The Sad News is: • These technologies are not seriously considered because they require, in some cases, human behavior modifications and a higher degree of complexity in the regulatory system. • Instead central sewers are promoted, which waste precious resources every step of the way - in the transportation, treatment and disposal of the nutrient ‘wastes’. Precious becomes putrescent. • Any system that wastes resources will lead to impoverished economies and environments in the future.

  6. “Quick-Fix” to reduce N entering groundwater : in estuaries : - Urine diverting flush toilet - Oysters in estuaries - Urine to composting service - Food wastes to composting service - Rain gardens on streets Estimated Cost /House (2 urine-diverting toilets) $1500-2000

  7. Urine-Diverting Toilets Waterless Urinals

  8. Home Improvements – To Remove N from Groundwater - Foam-flush toilet & composter - Food wastes to composting service - Home rain garden - Rainwater use for foam-flush toilet To compost services or bury 9 inches deep

  9. Phoenix Waterless Composting Toilet

  10. Home, Land, & Estuary Improvements To Remove N from Groundwater : To Remove N from Estuaries : - Foam flush waterless toilet; - Oysters in estuaries products to composting service - Food wastes to composting service Estimated Cost / House (2 foam-flush toilets + composter) $12-15,000 /House Estimated Cost /House (central sewer) $45,000 /House

  11. Denitrifying SepticSystems Permeable Reactive Barrier Estuary Management

  12. Initial 2005 Massachusetts Estuaries Assessment of Wastewater Management Needs

  13. Areas Designated for Wastewater Management Intervention Including Future Needs -- Circles Represent Amount of Wastewater Nitrogen Reduction to Meet TMDLs --

  14. South Coast Area Proposed for Phase 1 & 2 Sewer Development -- Estimated Cost $310 million ( $43,000 for 7,350 Units) -- Deleted from Phase 2 Phase 1 & 2 Areas Construction Direction

  15. Falmouth Wastewater Management Area Four Estuaries -- Phase 1 & 2 Falmouth Mall Great Pond Green Pond Little Pond Bournes Pond 26 October2010 R Zweig

  16. Sources of Nitrogen Entering Estuaries -- Sources from Septic Systems Pulled Out -- Total Load = 39.75 kg-N/day

  17. How can oysters do what’s needed? Person – Annual N Wastes* 4,380 g-N -- toilet 912 g-N -- gray water 5,292 g-N – total Converted to basic nitrogen compounds consumed by micro-algae and bacteria – nutrients for filter-feeding shellfish Oyster Nitrogen Management** 0.52 g-N – shell and flesh (41%) 0.50 g-N – denitrified to air from bio-deposits (39%) 0.25 g-N – accumulated bio-deposits (21%) 1.27 g-N – total removed from water Oysters per Person 4,170 oysters/person/year * Hazen & Sawyer 2009 ** Newell et al 2005

  18. Estuary Water Quality Management Using Only Oyster Culture Estuary Water Quality Management With Oyster Culture Using Up To 10% of Pond Area with Balance Via Dilution by Widening Inlets to Ponds Notes:1. Objective to Control Nitrogen Levels in Impacted Estuaries (Increase Water Clarity) with Least Cost 2. Submerged Oyster Culture - Primary (out of sight): Opening Inlets – Secondary 3. One oyster on average removes 0.68 g-N/l/year in Flesh, Shell and Bio-deposits -- 2.5-year growth 4. Residual Nitrogen Available for Natural Shellfish, Fish and Aquatic Plant (Eel Grass) Productivity 5. Oyster Culture Flexible – Can Be developed/ Leased Incrementally Depending on Need. 6. Town Revenue from Leasing Oyster Culture Areas to Offset Navigation, Landing Site & Admin Cost 350, 310

  19. Oyster & Quahog Factors 1. Local Knowledge -- Cape Cod growers, shellfishers and Town specialists 2. Flexible – can be adjusted to meet needs of different estuary conditions 3. Low Cost -- oysters farming by private produces – northern areas -- quahog seeding by town – southern areas 4. Clean Up Estuaries Fast – can be combined with other options 5. Complex Permitting – constraints on area usage -- need to engage Town Departments, state and abutters -- possibility of doing as pilot -- All of Falmouth?

  20. Multidepth sampling wells perpendicular to barrier upgradient, through and downgradient Waquoit Bay NERR Boat Houste Barrier Wellpoint Sampling transects downgradient from barrier and control 20 meters Preliminary NitrexTM Permeable Reactive Barrier Locations Permeable Reactive Barriers Sampling Layout Permanent Wells and Wellpoints

  21. July 2009, algal growth along seepage face inhibited down-gradient from barrier Approx. location of barrier subsurface Photo by Chris Weidman, WBNERR; K. Foreman MBL, Woods Hole, MA 02543

  22. Nitrate Concentration (mmolar) Barrier Barrier Transect Location (meters) Wellpoint sampling clearly shows NO3 removal downgradient from barrier Data of Ken Foreman, MBL Woods Hole

  23. 12% --8%

  24. Estimated Implementation Schedule, Costs and Timing of Impact of Several Options

  25. Finance, Implementation and Impact Issues 1. Analysis of Alternatives Incomplete – combining options can improve effectiveness and reduce costs 2. Long delay after investment to realize objective for some options 3. Equity – betterment fixed per house & not based on value 4. Cost Recovery via Property Tax Base?

  26. ARTICLE 50: Town Meeting Warrant – November 15, 2010 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court for a special act of legislation regarding sewer betterment assessments to be assessed in the Town and which will authorize the term of borrowing for sewer projects and the term to pay betterments assessed for the project to have different termination dates, b) authorize the Board of Selectmen to adopt fixed annual sewer betterment payment schedules, authorize the equal division of annual sewer assessment payments on property tax bills, d) authorize an interest rate of 2.5% on apportioned sewer betterments payments effective January 1, 2015, and e) authorize such other provisions regarding sewer betterment assessmentsas will enable or enhance the purposes of this article. Issues: 1. Inadequate Analysis of Alternatives – main analysis of sewer system only 2. Cost Recovery Plan – 2.5% interest on betterments over 50 years 3. Fairness and Equitability – regardless of home value assigned same betterment 4. Uncertainty of Funding Incentives – dependent upon initial SRF 0% interest loan(s)

  27. CWMPRC’s Proposed $15 million Debt Exclusion Appropriation

  28. Falmouth Urine Trouble Thank You

  29. What Next?Where to From Here?

  30. Water & Nutrient Audit

  31. How to recycle food nutrients back to plants ?

  32. Due to sub-urbanization and restricted tidal circulation, all these salt ponds adjacent to Vineyard Sound are experiencing significant eutrophication and declines in water quality PRB Two test barriers installed in Waquoit Bay & Childs River Waquoit Bay Bournes Pond Eelpond Green Pond Great Pond

  33. “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi

  34. - m N O ( M ) 3 Grade 1 5 0 1 3 0 PRB 1 1 0 9 0 W 1 7 0 W 2 2 5 0 ) W 4 W 3 m 3 0 W 5 W 6 ( 1 0 W 7 n W 8 o i t a v 0 e l E e v i t a l e R - 2 - 4 0 2 4 6 8 1 0 R e l a t i v e D i s t a n c e ( m ) November 2005, ~ 3.5 months after installationGroundwater Nitrate Removal in Waquoit Bay PRB Waquoit Bay K. Foreman MBL, Woods Hole, MA 02543

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