Barnstable County provides low- and no-interest loans to residents who need help paying to fix, replace or upgrade their septic systems, or hook up to municipal sewers. That loan program, called Cape Cod AquiFund, just got a $13 million cash infusion.
The money comes from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust.
In a meeting this week, the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners voted to execute the final step to acquire the funds for the loan program.
AquiFund program manager Brian Baumgaertel thanked commissioners for securing the money.
“That brings to a final close the long journey toward getting the $13 million infusion of cash into our AquiFund program, which is huge. It'll be the first big chunk of money amongst many big chunks of money that we'll be asking for that program,” he said. “It's good to get this one done and get loans out to people who need them.”
Cape Cod residents can apply for AquiFund loans with 0, 2, 4 and 5 percent interest, depending on the project, household income and other factors.
Baumgaertel told commissioners that the AquiFund program has grown in popularity among Cape Cod homeowners.
“That program has seen record amounts of projects coming in, record amounts of money going out the door,” he said. “We're seeing big projects, we're seeing small projects. It's all really across the board, so it's obviously a very much needed service.”
Find out more about the AquiFund on the website of Barnstable County.
Upgrades continue at Alternative Septic System Test Center
Also at the meeting, county commissioners voted to approve a contract for electrical work to be done at the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (MASSTC) in Sandwich.
But not just any electrical work—this will put the finishing touches on MASSTC’s new Clean Water Center, which will help bring education to the forefront of the test center’s work.
Baumgaertel, who is also the executive director of MASSTC, explained to the commission this week why education is important in the center’s work.
“Our water workforce is retiring now and not being backfilled,” he said. “So I want to start a pretty significant effort toward working with our regional partners to develop more workforce opportunities, not only for the youngest amongst us, but also for those career changers amongst us.”
The test center is located on Joint Base Cape Cod, and Baumgaertel said he hopes to include retiring military personnel looking for jobs in his upcoming workforce development programs.
The new Clean Water Center will also have spaces and programming for the general public to learn more about wastewater treatment and how wastewater can impact the environment.
MASSTC, which is on the cutting edge of innovation in the field of wastewater treatment, is a program of Barnstable County government.
