On September 1, 2023, in response to the amended Title 5 Natural Resource Nitrogen Sensitive Area Regulations (Title 5, 310 CMR 15.000) and new Watershed Permit Regulations (314 CMR 21.00), the Town of Barnstable submitted its application for a Watershed Permit. The Town’s application included the request to cover all seven of the Town’s watersheds and to remain on the previously approved 30-year implementation schedule proposed within Barnstable’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan.
After completing both administrative and technical review with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), the Town’s application has advanced, resulting in a draft permit which is available for public comment. A copy of the Town’s application and draft permit is accessible via a public notice in the June 11, 2025 (Volume 98, Issue 10) edition of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office’s (MEPA) regulatory publication, The Environmental Monitor, found here: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/MEPA-eMonitor/submittal/5cc0a59b-bf0d-4544-acee-0fbaf0775c19
The Town of Barnstable has also made this public notice available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazilian) via the following links:
- Public Notice – Barnstable Watershed Permit (ENGLISH)
- AVISO PÚBLICO – Permiso de Cuenca Hidrográfica de Barnstable (Español)
- AVISO PÚBLICO – Licença de Bacia Hidrográfica de Barnstable (Português)
Additional details in regard to the Town’s application (#23-WP95-0005-APP) can be found through the EEA ePlace Public Access Portal, here: https://eplace.eea.mass.gov/EEAPublicApp/applicationdetails.html#info
Comments on the proposed action or requests for a public hearing thereon pursuant to 314 CMR 2.07 must be filed with MassDEP within sixty (60) days of the public notice. Comments may be submitted directly to Maggie Leary, Environmental Analyst, Bureau of Water Resources, Water Pollution Control for the Cape & Islands at maggie.leary@mass.gov
Should a favorable determination be made, the Town of Barnstable would be the first community in the Commonwealth to receive a Watershed Permit under the new 2023 regulations.
Since 2021, when Barnstable achieved the necessary regulatory approvals for its Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP), the Town has successfully completed its first two sewer expansion projects on time and on budget, enabling over 300 properties the ability to connect to the newly expanded municipal sewer system. Additionally, the Town has appropriated over $300 Million in support of projects identified within the CWMP. Of note, the Barnstable Town Council approved a significant $109 Million capital appropriation for upgrades to the Barnstable Water Pollution Control Division’s treatment plant and a $59.65 Million capital appropriation to fund construction of the Route 28 West Sewer Expansion Project, which will serve as the backbone of the system’s westward expansion, critical to reaching the Three Bays, the Town’s most impaired embayment. These efforts speak to the Town’s steadfast commitment to protect the community’s vital water resources.