Having seen the Town of Rochester push back on the state’s winter-2023 timeframe to implement a new regulation requiring septic owners in designated nitrogen-sensitive areas to install expensive denitrification systems, Mattapoisett Board of Health Chairman Carmelo Nicolosi was eager to follow suit when the board met on December 8.
A debate is growing as to the source of the nitrogen that is polluting the harbors along the south coast and Cape Cod.
The effort to arrive at reliable conclusions includes surveying for a Nitrogen Sensitive Watershed Study and discussions with the state Department of Environmental Protection about funding the work.
According to Mattapoisett Land Trust President Mike Huguenin, the mouth of the Mattapoisett River is “very degraded.” A new map produced in 2021 indicates that 50 acres of eel grass has been lost to the mouth of the river and is now “mud flat” according to Huguenin, who recommended the board consult with Buzzards Bay expert Joe Costa.
In answer to Nicolosi’s question as to any uniformity of results from water testing for nitrogen, Huguenin indicated that going back 20 to 30 years, nitrogen levels were higher in places such as Tub Mill Brook. While up-river nitrogen levels are now somewhat lower, the levels in the harbor itself are trending slightly upward. The data, said Huguenin, is subject to interpretation. “Depends on how you squint at it,” he said.
While MassDEP is not backing off its timeline for implementation, certain things must happen first that could leverage delays. For instance, the Town of Fairhaven has yet to identify a nitrogen-sensitive area, a task that could delay implementation anywhere from 18 months to two years.
Fairhaven, along with host Mattapoisett, Marion and to a lesser extent Rochester, is a member of the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District. When the state identifies nitrogen-sensitive areas, it will look at watershed districts.
The monthly public meetings of the MRV’s Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee and District Commission were to be held on Tuesday.
While the Environmental Protection Agency has yet to implement a total maximum daily load (TMDL), Nasketucket Bay State Reservation is expected to become the first Mattapoisett area targeted by the state’s septic plan, followed by Aucoot Cove and Mattapoisett Harbor. Any watershed that integrates towns, golf courses and sewerage will be evaluated.
Bob Field of Field Engineering has been hired by the town to conduct testing and mapping to determine Mattapoisett’s major nitrogen sources, be it farms, septic systems or birds. To finance the research and field work, the town will try to secure some grant funding.
In other business, the board approved two applications for projects on residential properties. The board granted a variance to allow a 3.6-foot separation from the groundwater table to the base of the septic system at 108 Acushnet Road and approved the relocation of a septic system to the rear of a house on Randall Road.
The board also discussed a lack of adequate feedback regarding a potential, regional recycling center at the town’s transfer station off Tinkham Hill Road.
Earlier this year, a private company visited the transfer station to propose the center it would finance and build, inviting residents in surrounding municipalities to participate. The host town holds the first right of refusal in processing food waste up to the capacity allowed at the site.
State mandates are on the horizon that would require shipping food waste out of town, a costly exercise and one that local taxpayers would not be able to control.
Finally, the board approved Health Agent Gail Joseph’s proposed policy on the use of its truck, along with associated expenses and reimbursements.
The next public meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health was not set upon adjournment.
Mattapoisett Board of Health
By Mick Colageo