Tri-town wastewater plan heads to governor
HARWICH -- Special legislation that would enable Harwich, Dennis and Yarmouth to move forward with their tri-town wastewater treatment partnership is in the hands of the governor after local lawmakers moved the bill through the House and Senate late last week.
The bill is filed as House Docket, No. 1378.
“We are pleased to announce that special legislation to create the DHY Clean Waters Community Partnership has passed both chambers in the Legislature and is on its way to Governor Baker for his signature,” a joint statement from state Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), state Rep. Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown), state Rep Tim Whelan (R-Brewster) and state Rep. Will Crocker (R-Barnstable) says.
“The towns of Dennis, Harwich and Yarmouth have worked hard to come up with an important inter-municipal partnership that will reduce excess nitrogen that is polluting the Cape’s marine environment and provide cleaner water for their residents and visitors for decades to come,” it adds.
Under the partnership, each of the three towns has developed a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan to evaluate options for removing excessive nitrogen from salt water estuaries and rivers.
The towns have determined that sewering, along with other non-traditional technologies, is needed in order to solve the excessive nitrogen problem, which stems mainly from septic systems.