For the last few years, we have been politely asking everyone in charge at the Town of Barnstable to allow homeowners in areas the sewer won't reach for a decade or more to install, at our own cost, an I/A septic system to speed up the attack on nutrient pollution. And with each phone call, …
Continue reading Mashpee Proposes What Barnstable Won’t Even Consider
Excuse us while we do a couple of back-flips. We're so excited over the news that the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) filed suit against the Town of Barnstable last week asking for "temporary suspension of permitting of conventional septic systems when they are part of a new construction or replacement of an existing system." [Source: …
Nutrient loading from septic systems, stormwater run-off and fertilizer use is killing the Cape's waterways. Good for the town of Mashpee, which will fine landscapers that don't adhere to new stringent nitrogen control bylaws. Read the Mashpee Enterprise Article
We live on Shoestring Bay, a beautiful estuary of Popponesset Bay. Unfortunately, the water quality fails every Massachusetts standard for clean water. Why? Too much nitrogen and phosphorous leaching into the water---80% of which can be attributed to our Title-5 septic systems. The current clamor for replacing septic systems with new sewers is growing, and …
Continue reading What’s Up With Innovative Alternative Septic Systems?
Anyone who cares about the quality of our bays, rivers and ponds should read the Association to Preserve Cape Cod's (APCC) latest newsletter. The authors note "climate change will have profound impacts on Cape Cod’s water resources and water-dependent ecosystems... Throughout the Northeast, climate change will impact water resources through: Increased precipitation, with more of …
Stop Fertilizer Run-Off While waiting for Barnstable and Mashpee to commit to restoring Shoestring Bay residents can help Save Our Shoestring by managing our use of fertilizers. When fertilizer gets into stormwater, algae grows and uses up oxygen in the water, hurting or even killing fish and other aquatic species. A FEW TIPS Don’t fertilize …
Chatham, Harwich Sewer Work Begins Again Chatham's project has been ongoing for several years now and is slated to continue for at least 20 years. [emphasis mine] Cape Cod Times, 9/11/19 The good news? Two towns on the Cape are getting sewers. "Both projects are aimed at reducing nitrogen loading in estuaries and waterways and …
"This Bay may be the most polluted in Southeastern Massachusetts"Shoestring Bay used to be a healthy estuary, with clear water teeming with fish, crabs, mollusks, and other marine life. And now? Every year we see more of those awful algae blooms and the smell…well, who wants to be around that?Today, our Bay’s water quality meets …
Save Our Shoestring 