Safeguarding Barnstable's Future
Preserving Our Water, Protecting Our Community
Together we must protect and enhance the quality of Barnstable’s water resources—coastal waters, freshwater ponds and lakes, and drinking water—through comprehensive planning, sustainable infrastructure development, and community engagement.
The Barnstable Water Resources website serves as a central hub for information and updates related to the Town of Barnstable’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP). This state-approved, science-based plan aims to manage nutrient pollution from wastewater, primarily by transitioning properties from septic systems to a municipal sewer system. By doing so, we strive to restore and preserve the health of our waterways, ensuring they meet regulatory standards and support the community’s environmental and economic well-being.
Key Initiatives
Explore the impactful initiatives that drive our community’s commitment to protecting and preserving water quality.
Watershed-by-Watershed Approach
The Town’s CWMP is built to be adaptable and utilizes a watershed-by-watershed approach to ensure the
regulatory requirements of each watershed are met. The plan is designed to reduce nutrient pollution in embayments to a level consistent with established Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). By reducing nutrient pollution in embayments, the plan also protects water quality in ponds and drinking water sources.
Municipal Sewer Expansion
The expansion of the Town’s wastewater infrastructure (sewers) will be implemented in three 10-year phases. Each phase consists of multiple individual projects that will proceed through permitting, design, and construction. The newly expanded municipal sewer system will also provide the wastewater infrastructure needed to support community economic development and affordable housing needs.
Innovative and Nature-Based Approaches
Alongside traditional sewering, the Town’s CWMP proposes other innovative and nature-based approaches such as aquaculture, cranberry bog restoration, inlet dredging, and use of Best Available Nitrogen Reducing Technology (BANRT) in septic systems.
Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring
The Town of Barnstable, with support from several organizations and citizen volunteers, conducts robust water quality monitoring programs for embayments, ponds, and lakes. Specifically, the Town’s embayment monitoring data is provided directly to the Cape Cod Commission, per the requirements associated with its 208 Plan Consistency Determination. The Cape Cod Commission then integrates the data into the Cape Cod Water Quality Data Portal, for public viewing.
Public Outreach and Engagement
The Town of Barnstable has developed robust outreach initiatives, aimed at educating residents,
visitors, and business owners about the critical need for the CWMP. From the Homeowner’s Sewer Connection Guide and CWMP Annual Report, to a dedicated email newsletter and regular briefings with Town Council, civic associations, and special interest groups, community engagement remains a vital piece of the plan’s success.
Our Commitment
As an information hub, we are committed to providing clear, transparent communication about the water quality issues that matter most to you. Through this website, residents and visitors can access:
• Detailed information and updates related to water resource specific programs and projects, including sewer expansion projects
• Tools to assist property owners and independent contractors as they navigate the sewer connection process
• Financial planning resources and information on anticipated costs related to sewer connection
• Annual and seasonal water quality monitoring data and beach status updates
• Regulatory compliance reports and documentation
• Recent news, presentation recordings, and more
Our goal is to equip our community with the knowledge and tools necessary to participate actively in the Town’s efforts to improve water quality and related infrastructure.
The implementation of the CWMP is a 30-year endeavor, structured in three 10-year phases. Each phase focuses on expanding sewer infrastructure to reduce nutrient pollution in our watersheds, aligning with Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) established by federal and environmental agencies. The plan also proposes significant upgrades to the Town’s Water Pollution Control Facility, which will result in equipping Barnstable with the next generation of wastewater treatment and technology along with the ability to adapt to future regulations related to contaminants of emerging concern (CECs).
It’s important to remember that the problem we currently face is one that has permeated over a number of generations – yet Barnstable is committed to solving it in one.
For more information, resources, and updates, please explore the various sections of our website or contact us directly at WaterResources@town.barnstable.ma.us.
Progress at a Glance
Explore key milestones that have shaped the development of the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) and the efforts taken thus far to protect the Town’s water quality.
2015 - 2017
Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC)
During the Winter of 2015/16 the Town established the Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC), which was comprised of Town Councilors, Town Staff, citizens, and organizations including the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC), Barnstable Clean Water Coalition, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and UMASS Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). Together the WRAC tackled the development of the CWMP including a pathway for the permitting and regulatory approvals needed. Ultimately, a draft plan was presented to the Barnstable Town Council in the Summer of 2017, which would progress through layers of regulatory review.
2019
CWMP Submitted for Review
In the Fall of 2019 a Final Draft of the CWMP was presented to Barnstable Town Council. With Council approval, the Final Draft CWMP was submitted to the Cape Cod Commission, DEP, and Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA) to commence the regulatory review process.
December 30, 2020
Single Environmental Impact Report (SEIR)
On December 30, 2020, the Town of Barnstable was issued a Certificate of the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for its Single Environmental Impact Report (Single EIR), which was determined to adequately and properly comply with MEPA and its implementing regulations.
January 8, 2021
Establishing a Special Review Procedure
On January 8, 2021, the Town of Barnstable was issued a Certificate of the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for Establishing a Special Review Procedure (SRP), to guide the implementation of the Town’s CWMP. A notice of the issuance of this SRP was published in the Environmental Monitor on January 22, 2021.
April 16, 2021
Cape Cod Commission Final 208 Consistency Determination
On April 16, 2021, the Town of Barnstable recieved its 208 Plan Consistency Determination from the Cape Cod Commission.
September 2021
Barnstable Breaks Ground on Sewer Expansion
The Strawberry Hill Road Sewer Expansion Project broke ground in September 2021. Designed to sewer approximately 215 properties and remove approximately 4.6 kg/day of nitrogen from the Centerville River Watershed, this was the Town’s first major CWMP construction initiative to kick-off Phase 1 of the 30-year plan.
September 2022
Sewer Expansion within Route 28
The Town’s second sewer expansion project commenced in September 2022. Laying the foundation for westward sewer expansion, a major goal outlined for Phase 1 of the CWMP, the Route 28 East Sewer Expansion Project included the plan’s largest sewer pump station, located at the corner of Route 28 and Phinney’s Lane.
September 2023
Barnstable Applies for a Watershed Permit
Following the release of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) Watershed Permit and Title 5 Natural Resource Nitrogen Sensitive Area Regulations, the Town submitted its application for a Watershed Permit covering the entire Town and its watersheds.
April 2024
Town Council Supports Next-Gen Wastewater Treatment
Barnstable Town Council approved a significant $109 Million capital appropriation for upgrades to the Barnstable Water Pollution Control Division’s treatment plant in April 2024. The proposed construction projec is anticipated to be completed in two phases — the first being a new headworks facility and nitrogen removal improvements which will consist of the installation of a four stage Bardenpho proecess and membrane bioreactors, upgrades to the effluent pumping systems, associated piping/coneyance structures and other identified facility upgrades.
May 2024
First Connection into the New Municipal Sewer System
With Barnstable’s first two sewer projects completed on time and on budget, the first residential sewer connection was welcomed into the system at the end of May 2024. Currently over 300 property owners are eligible to tie into the newly expanded municipal sewer system. To assist property owners, the Department of Public Works published its Homeowner’s Sewer Connection Guide, which is available digitally and in print at various locations across Town. Resources are also available in Portugese and Spanish.
