And so it spreads. The toxic algae bloom that’s been plaguing Santuit Pond since June is leaving the pond and spreading down to the Santuit River. It’s now a sickly green color. According to today’s Cape Cod Times, the Mashpee Board of Selectmen will “bring up the topic at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at Mashpee Town Hall…where the selectmen will hear from town staff on ideas for a comprehensive response.”

Shoestring Bay is the direct recipient of the outflow from the Santuit River; it’s one of the fresh water sources that makes the Bay brackish.

So this isn’t just a Mashpee problem. Or a Barnstable problem. It’s a health hazard for everyone on the Cape. Hats off to Mashpee Selectman Andrew Gottlieb, who’s been fighting to wake up Mashpee residents to the dangers of septic run-off and the need for big, expensive remedies. “I think at the end of the day, it’s going to take a public uprising about water quality, whether it’s Santuit (Pond) or other places as well, to create the political will necessary for towns to take the hard steps needed to solve these problems,” said Gottlieb, who is also executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod.