Water Quality Management Report

Bournes Pond

September 16, 2019 – The Water Quality Management Committee presented a major, comprehensive report to the Board of Selectman.

The report was presented by Eric Turkington. He introduced the members of the committee, which, given the expertise and proximity of the many Woods Hole oceanographically oriented institutions, was impressive, indeed. The report was well done!

Falmouth has more (15) coastal estuaries than any other town in Massachusetts. All of the south coastal estuaries are considered impaired. The report was entitled, “Draft Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plans (for Little Pond, Great Pond, Bournes Pond, Eel River & Waquoit Bay, West Falmouth Harbor, and Oyster Pond Watersheds).” This committee was constituted in 2011 with an objective of finding and testing to see what works, as alternatives to a rejected $600 million price tag for sewering all impaired geographical areas.

Ten years ago, Stearns & Wheler, the engineering firm hired by the Town of Falmouth to study the deteriorating water quality in West Falmouth Harbor, Little Pond, Great Pond, Bournes Pond, Green Pond, Eel River, and Waquoit Bay made an expected finding: yes, these estuaries were impaired, and yes, nitrogen from residential septic systems was the main cause. But it was their recommendation for addressing the problem that got everyone's attention.

Sewering, they said, was the only answer. Sewer Falmouth Heights, Maravista, Teaticket, Acapesket, Davisville, Menauhant, and Seacoast Shores, everything south of Route 28 in East Falmouth, and then north of Route 28. The price tag: $600 million dollars.

Once Falmouth got over the shock of that number, the Town quickly decided there had to be a better way. A review committee was appointed, and two years later the Water Quality Management Committee was created by Town Meeting and appointed by the Selectmen.

The committee's assigned mission: to explore every practical alternative means of improving the water quality in the Town's estuaries, and to come up with an implementation plan that used cost-­effective alternatives where practical, and sewers only where they were the most cost-effective solution.

Important Observations Relevant to Davisville:
There is no recommended sewering for Davisville or Menauhant Peninsulas.

Regarding Bournes Pond, 50% of the needed nitrogen reduction in Bournes Pond can be achieved through increased flushing from inlet widening; 25% state approved reduction credit from stormwater management practices and fertilizer bylaw; and 25% from planned aquaculture (oysters, etc.).

It was observed at the end of the meeting that Falmouth is ahead of any other Cape Cod town (with the possible exception of Chatham) in planning for all of these issues – being well organized and with much expertise and experience from the Woods Hole based institutions. Falmouth has focused on practical in the ground experiments, some of which have been fruitful and others not.

A Note: There was one ‘gallows humor’ comment at the end as follows: “Could breaching of a barrier beach in a powerful storm be considered involuntary inlet widening?”