Spotlight on Cape Cod

Orleans Breaks GrOund On lOnG-awaited wastewater treatment PrOject

ORLEANS — Select Board Chairman Kevin Galligan welcomed a crowd of 60 to the Village Green recently to mark the groundbreaking for Phase 1 construction of the wastewater treatment facility and collection system.

The project has been decades in the making. Galligan noted that a key milestone was reached when the Orleans Water Quality Advisory Panel — a panel representing eight different groups and organizations — reached consensus in 2015.

“The adults in the room couldn’t get together until we shared our vision for Orleans,” Galligan said.

Protecting the town’s water resources was the one thing everyone could agree on.

“We’re building an equitable and modern public water and wastewater utility in town,” Galligan said. “Clean waters will be our future.”

The project will include traditional wastewater treatments and nontraditional treatments such as permeable reactive barriers and shellfish aquaculture. Sewer infrastructure will be built in high-density areas.

“This was a project that had to be done,” said Alan McClennan, vice chairman of the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners. “The downtown had to be done. Meetinghouse Pond had to be done.”

It was an effort that took the concerted energies of “our village,” McClennan said when he addressed the crowd.

Nine bond issues at town meetings were approved by well over two-thirds majority, and voters approved nine debt exclusions by margins greater than 2 to 1 to increase their taxes.

And in June, voters approved spending an additional $12 million on the project after bids came in

higher than anticipated.

The challenge was finding the most cost-effective way forward.

The project will receive funding from the State Revolving Fund, the hotel/motel tax and short-term rental tax, the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund and betterment charges for users.

Kathleen Theoharides, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said the Baker administration is committed to projects such as this. “It satisfies significant environmental goals as well as economic development opportunities for residents,” she said.

The new facility is supported by over $50 million in state revolving fund money. The collection system, wastewater treatment facility, and effluent disposal continued on page 27

Spotlight on Cape Cod continued from page 29 will support approximately 1,000 users. She called the need to address water quality issues across the region crucial.

State Senator Julian Cyr, of Truro, congratulated Orleans for taking the lead on wastewater management and pushing back on the risk it poses to the area’s embayments. The Cape’s fresh and marine waters are at risk from poorly treated septic systems.

“This is significant not just for Orleans but for the entire Lower Cape,” he said. “This is a protection of our resources as well as an investment in Cape Cod.”

“The Cape owes a debt of gratitude to Orleans,” Cape Cod Commission Executive Director Kristy Senatori said. “This is one of the most important things we’ve done for the environment.”

She congratulated town leaders and residents for not shrinking from the challenge. “You rose with it and brought Cape Cod with you,” she said.

When the project is completed in 2022, 1,090 users will be connected to the downtown area collection system. One of the three submersible pumping stations will be located on the Village Green, the site of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Written by Denise Coffey. Reprinted from the Cape Cod Times. continued on page 33

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BarnstaBle tOwn cOuncil aPPrOves $8.5m fOr sewerinG, wastewater treatment equiPment uPGrades

Sewer construction for the first phase of Barnstable’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management plan is slated to begin in the spring, in conjunction with Vineyard Wind’s infrastructure build between Covell’s Beach and Independence Park.

Plans are on track to bury a power cable that would carry wind energy to the mainland, the company said during a September 17 Zoom update. The Trump administration is hitting timing milestones in its review of the proposed 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind farm 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, setting the stage for a possible project approval before the end of the year.

A year from now, work is also set to begin on a new sewer pump station at Rt. 28 and Phinney’s Lane, where soil borings currently are underway.

“When does the rubber hit the road?” Councilor David Bogan asked Dan Santos, Barnstable DPW di- The council will get into funding specifics for rector, via Zoom at the September 17 Town Council wastewater treatment in a special meeting scheduled hearing. for Thursday, October 29, 7 p.m.

“It has. We are underway,” Santos said. In other action, the council voted unanimously to

So begins the Solids Handling Upgrades Con- accept a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth of struction Project, as outlined in the town’s FY21-25 Massachusetts for 50% of the third phase of dredging Capital Improvement Plan, funded in part by an $8.5 Dead Neck / Sampson’s Island. million appropriation approved unanimously by the Llikewise, the council unanimously approved a council on September 17. $173,255.50 FY21 Coastal Pollutant Remediation

Originally built in 1990 and evaluated in 2014, the grant from the Commonwealth. Solids Handling Building at Barnstable’s Water Pollu- Santos also said his staff and a consultant are tion Control Facility on Bearse’s Way is crucial to the preparing a draft report on possible alternative water town’s wastewater treatment process, Santos said. sources, having completed field work and sampling

He called it “the gut” of the town’s wastewater analysis. treatment. “Construction of Maher Filtration Plant is near-

“It handles up to 12 million gallons of septage – ly complete” and running about 30 days ahead of 1 million gallons of grease and up to 11 million gal- schedule, Santos said. That facility will treat water lons of wastewater sludge – per year,” Santos told the from three wells, eliminating PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane council. Project funding also includes general obliga- and enabling Barnstable to curtail water purchase tion bonds. from Yarmouth. He estimated startup within three or

The $8.5 million includes a full-scale renovation four weeks. of the Solids Handing Building and equipment to ex- “Our permit requires us to meet 10 parts per miltend their life for another 20-30 years, Santos said. lion, but we do better than that,” he said. “We are re-

Town Manager Mark Ells said he anticipates bet- quired to meet 10 parts per million; we are averaging terments or sewer assessments to occur once the 4 to 5 parts per million.” system goes online. Finally, Santos said the town continues to work

“We need closure on this conversation before the with the Barnstable Clean Water Coalition to install end of the calendar year,” Ells said. continued on page 35

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innovative “alternative” water treatment systems— despite not receiving an EPA grant to do so.

“The BCWC board of directors has decided to fund the project themselves,” Santos told the council.

The installation of several dozen alternative septic systems is underway in Hugo and Shubael ponds to treat nitrogen, Santos said. “We want to do a largescale trial here in Barnstable...to prove to the DEP that these systems could work.”

Reprinted from the Barnstable Patriot. Written by Bronwen Howells Walsh. n

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