Gov. Baker signs Cape water quality plan update

On June 15, Gov. Charlie Baker certified a federal Clean Water Act Section 208 Water Quality Plan for Cape Cod.

The Section 208 Water Quality Plan Update addresses both point and non-point sources of pollution, such as those carried through groundwater, which are not directly regulated under the Clean Water Act.

The plan focuses on shared systems, remediation and restoration of natural solutions such as wetlands, and reducing the amount of nitrogen coming from septic systems. For example, a town may choose a lower-cost remediation, such as dredging an inlet, which could remove up to 30 percent of the nitrogen in an embayment, before choosing to build a large sewer system and sewage treatment plant.

Because of the sandy soil on the Cape, nitrogen and phosphorus from septic systems easily moves through the ground into lakes, ponds and bays and is the leading cause of pollution on the Cape. Nitrogen and phosphorus cause excessive growth of algae, which diminishes the capacity of wetlands to naturally absorb excess nitrogen. The algae growth can rob fish of oxygen and sometimes leads to large fish kills.

The Cape Cod Commission developed and drafted the 208 Plan Update for Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection review in March 2015. The commission recently recommended designating each of the 15 Cape towns as Waste Treatment Management Agencies. If the plan is accepted, WMAs will then be responsible for all of the nitrogen that enters the groundwater from land within their jurisdiction and responsible for local nitrogen allocations.

By Sept. 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must review the plan and the WMA designations, and make a determination on its acceptance.