On June 21 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection released new regulations for siting, upgrading and maintaining septic systems on Cape Cod. In short, the new regulations “require residents and towns on the Cape to reduce the nitrogen in their wastewater. Towns may apply for watershed permits, which will allow each community to tailor its approach to reducing nitrogen output. If towns do not apply for watershed permits within two years, Cape residents will be required to upgrade their individual systems to include nitrogen-removing technology within seven years.” [per CLF press release]

There’s a lot to unpack in the 20+ page regulation–and we’ll be back soon with our comments–but a quick Cheers and Thanks to Conservation Law Foundation for getting the ball rolling, and to our friends at Barnstable Clean Water Coaltion, Mashpee Clean Waters, and the many other community groups whose loud voices and unrelenting pressure on local officials resulted in this week’s big win.

Mass. Releases New Rules to Clean Up Cape Cod Pollution