In towns around the Cape, road construction and detours for sewer projects are commonplace. In the not-so-distant future, that work will likely be happening in Wellfleet, too.
Town Administrator Tom Guerino says Wellfleet is starting, in earnest, the wastewater planning needed to reduce the nitrogen compromising Wellfleet Harbor. And while the work is in response to a state mandate, Guerino said it’s also critical to the town, best known for its oyster fishery.
"Wastewater here is important as 15 to 20%, plus or minus, of our residents are affiliated with the shellfish or fishing industry," he said. "Keeping the embayments in the harbor, in the flats, clean is imperative."
Guerino said first up is sewering at least some of the downtown.
"We're certainly looking at the downtown central core area as being primary," he commented.
Beyond that, Guerino said, town leaders are learning about alternative technologies, from enhanced innovative and alternative (I/A) septic systems to urine diversion and composting toilets, which he says have come a long way in recent years.
"Everything is in the mix," said Guerino. "Everything is a possibility."
While the town is still far from finalizing a budget Guerino said, over the life of the sewer project, costs will likely top $80 million and could be over $100 million. Grants and loan funds will help with the cost, but Wellfleet residents will foot much of the bill.
That concerns Steve Burke. He’s Chair of Wellfleet’s Energy and Climate Action Committee, and a member of a regional group called the Wastewater Innovation Network.
"I want people to be aware of what's actually happening, what the potential costs are going to be, the fact that there are other alternatives to sewers and I/A septic systems that are equal to or better, and they cost far less," Burke said.
The town has put together a Wastewater Advisory Committee to help the Board of Sewer Commissioners steer planning for a downtown sewer. But Burke is among those questioning the project.
"Why are we spending millions and millions of dollars – when we can't fix the marina and we can't fix the elementary school – on this huge project, when there are other ways to do it that are more effective and cost far less?"
Burke is talking about home-scale solutions like toilets and urinals that divert nitrogen-rich urine from the waste stream – collecting it to be hauled off-site or used as fertilizer – as well as composting toilets that don’t require a septic system or fresh water to flush.
These solutions require a change in habits, and overcoming a yuck-factor that comes with not having your waste automatically flushed away. The biggest hurdle may be convincing people that these are viable alternatives. Burke said that’s what the Wastewater Innovation Network is trying to do.
"We can do this better," he said. "We can do it smarter. We can do it cheaper. I will happily be a test case for retrofitting a composting system into my own home."
Which means, the first person Burke needs to convince is his wife.
