Eastham Water Resources Advisory Board
Minutes meeting of 7/12/04
In attendance were Chair Weiss, members Lightfoot, Holt, Nugent, Whitmore and Bayne, Health Agent Crowley, Americorp intern Courtney Grundmayer, and guests Gussie McKusick of Barnstable WIC and Orleans WWMC, and John Wherry of the Orleans Water Board.
The minutes of 6/21/04 were approved unanimously.
McKusick and Wherry had been invited to share with the Board their insights into the waste water and water supply management process, which in Orleans is well established.
The Board specifically asked three questions:
How did the Orleans town boards get the public ready to accept their recommendations?
What is their nitrogen loading study showing them which could help Eastham?
What are the possibilities of an inter-lens transfer of water from Orleans, should Eastham some day need a public supply?
McKusick, responding to the second question, explained that it was four years ago that Orleans got involved in the DEP estuary project, which asks towns to study the nitrogen load of their estuaries. DEP wants all towns eventually to complete such a study; the work will be required by the state at some point. Within two years the results of the estuary study will require the Nauset towns to regulate total daily maximum nitrogen loads.
Eastham, by dint of owning part of Nauset Marsh and participating in the sampling of it, has been involved for two years, and Nauset Marsh, in her opinion, is the bulk of the study area for Eastham. She emphasized that Eastham is now drawn into the process and should continue to completion.
She explained that much of the nitrogen in the estuaries has been moving through the ground water for perhaps 30 years, and will continue to move slowly through for many more years. Each town’s situation is unique to some extent, but the nitrogen load will be comprised of human sources and natural sources. In Orleans, 70% of the nitrogen is coming from septic, 5-10% from fertilizer, and the balance from other sources, including road run off.
Wherry, in answering question one, mentioned that in the 1960’s Orleans appointed an investigating committee, which had commissioned a Whitman and Howard study. He presented the board with a copy of their 1962 report, which was mailed to all citizens by the water board. (Weiss will copy and distribute that report to board members.)
He further commented that a regional approach to zoning is to be desired, so that once a town creates sewers, the local zoning cannot be loosened by that town’s town meeting acting alone. He stated that Orleans’ current capacity is 3 mgpd, and that the water board feels more could be tapped were the current distribution system limitations to be overcome.
McKusick, returning to the education question, stated that while Orleans’ estuary report is being completed, the waste water management committee is working on education.
Then, addressing all WRAB questions, she made several suggestions:
Ask Provincetown and Truro how they deal with intertown water transfer issues;
Ask Brian Howes (of the Marine Biology department at Southeast Mass., and director of the Cape estuary studies) and Brian Dudley (estuary specialist at DEP) to visit the WRAB to explain how we can motivate the town to ask for help in dealing with the water issues we have.
Make a proposal to WIC for funds to study the hydrogeological issues involved in inter lens water transfer.
Crowley pointed out that she had already applied, with the help of Tom Cambareri of the CCC, for these funds; McKusick felt her proposals would be approved.
Wherry made several suggestions additional suggestions:
Let citizens know homeowners’ insurance is higher in towns with no public water.
The state owns groundwater, including that under the Seashore, so perhaps DEP could help Eastham in dealing with mineral rights to water there; however, a water filtration system is being built in Orleans right now, so why not deal with Orleans instead of the Seashore?
McKusick, returning to the issue of motivation, mentioned several additional factors:
Septic effluent has 35 ppm nitrogen; this can be reduced to 5 ppm by effective septic systems. Some Wellfleet homeowners in the troubled harbor area have found they cannot sell their homes because of the high nitrogen levels in their wells.
When she asked DEP’s Pelosi how towns with shared estuaries can manage their nitrogen loading; Pelosi responded that the DEP can order the towns to act.
Eastham should study the correlation of density and nitrogen levels in wells; this data can be presented to WIC for documentation of need; if done promptly, Eastham’s (WRAB’s) scientific questions can be answered by next year.
Grundmayer, the Board of Health’s departing Americorp volunteer, then presented her report on the overall trends in nitrogen levels in well water. When she noted some years, such as 2003, appeared to show a downward trend, McKusick commented that rain water levels should be correlated with nitrogen trends; 2003 was a very rainy year. In reviewing Grundmayer’s tables, she commented that Eastham’s nitrogen levels aren’t that high yet, and it is hard to motivate people if those levels don’t exceed the state and federal levels. However, people should know that .5 ppm nitrogen in the estuaries kills shellfish and eelgrass.
The board thanked Grundmayer for her hard work and her very useful analysis. McKusick and Wherry welcomed the WRAB’s further questions and encouraged regular contact.
Crowley asked for project ideas for the town’s next Americorp worker; she would prefer to ask the volunteer to focus attention on an analysis of the results of map area 8.
Weiss listed issues to bring to the Selectmen when a meeting with them has been arranged:
The issue of DEP set TMDL’s of nitrogen to Nauset and other estuaries.
A list of other towns with water quality problems.
Grundmayer’s report.
Pond water quality issues, and the need to send letter to CCC asking for help with analysis of data.
Roach property decision to avoid the use of community well and septic.
Need for formal analysis of lens to lens transfer of water; proposal to WIC for funding.
Need to begin formal process of public well development permit, as the process is long and complex.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:15.
Sandy Bayne, clerk
| 
