Edgartown is weighing the costs of expensive septic changes as the town’s wastewater treatment facility falters and the Island’s water quality continues to decline.
Edgartown is weighing the costs of big septic changes as the town’s wastewater treatment facility falters and the Island’s water quality continues to decline.
The town unveiled the general outline of its 20-year comprehensive wastewater management plan this fall, a capital project intended to accommodate the town’s vast summer population growth and mitigate the rising nitrogen levels in its coastal ponds. Those plans became more urgent when earlier this year the town’s wastewater treatment facility failed, prompting officials to look into repairing or replacing the 53-year-old pipes.
To start addressing these long- and short-term goals, the town’s wastewater commission is seeking a $3 million article on the spring town meeting warrant for wastewater treatment facility repairs. The full price tag of the 20-year plan is estimated to be $40 million.
In a presentation to the select board and financial advisory committee, Ian Catlow from the environmental engineering group Tighe & Bond outlined the need and costs to upgrade the aging wastewater facility and preserve the town's coastal ponds. A complete replacement, the most expensive option at roughly $4.9 million, would last for the next 100 years, Mr. Catlow said, while more economical options would only last another 50. The lower-tier options came in at an estimated $2.29 million and $3.65 million.
As the town’s summer population continues to rise, officials must also weigh in on what infrastructure changes could best accommodate that growth.
A complete replacement would allow the town to complete a sewer system in the dense suburban neighborhood of Ocean Heights, Mr. Catlow said, reducing the levels of nitrogen runoff in Sengekontacket Pond. Currently, a majority of homes in Ocean Heights rely on septic tanks that contribute higher levels of nitrogen runoff than a connected sewer system. Even with new septic technology that promises to treat wastewater more effectively, a centralized treatment plant is the most efficient option, Mr. Catlow said.
All runoff from the facility would go into the town’s watershed, he added, and would be much cleaner than what is currently seeping out of the Island’s septic tanks.
While no decision has been made yet, the select board and financial advisory committee have until March 4, 35 days before the April 9 town meeting, to vote on financial warrant articles.
Regardless, the town could be looking down the barrel of significant expenditures. Oak Bluffs is currently readying itself for a $44 million overhaul of its wastewater treatment facility after approving $26 million for the project at town meeting last spring. Mr. Catlow said the town of Eastham on Cape Cod has spent roughly $16 million on septic repairs in recent years.
If passed, Edgartown would need to borrow the $3 million, giving the select board pause. The town is not part of the Cape and Islands Clean Water Trust Fund that offers grants for septic upgrades, but it does plan to move its short-term rental tax revenue to a capital stabilization fund for the purpose of projects like these, town administrator James Hagerty said.
As the tourist season nears, wastewater facility manager Bill Burke stressed that time was of the essence.
“The pipe is in bad condition,” he said. “If it were to break in the summer, it would be a mess.”
Comments
We either need to
Laura EdgartownWe either need to significantly expand and improve our sewer system, or stop all new development. If we follow our current path and do neither, our water quality will significantly degrade and we will be in the same situation as the Cape.
We need to stop accepting
edg taxpayer EDGARTOWNWe need to stop accepting septage from the other towns. They can solve their own problems at THEIR expense. Its not fair to Edgartown taxpayers to subsidize deficiencies in the management of the other towns.
Meanwhile Edgartown enjoys
Interesting ideaMeanwhile Edgartown enjoys the benefits in their tax rate for Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven covering virtually every regional effort . Let’s switch to equalized valuation so a century of division can be corrected. It’s really simple math… the lower the level of diversity, the lower the tax rate. Prove me wrong Edgartown and Chilmark
Did you forget the regional
edg taxpayer edgDid you forget the regional 'efforts' in Edgartown? The regional refuse district transfer station, The Courthouse, The Jail (many Edg officers have been injured there doing the county job, including some retired on disability), South Beach, State Beach, state forest, portion of the MV Airport, ALL of which cost Edgartown taxpayers for Police, fire etc. The other towns manage to get a 'port fee' to subsidize their expenses. By the way, when will Chilmark open the beaches to the public? You brought up diversity... I never saw that on your beaches whereas Edgartown welcomes EVERYONE.
Edgartown no longer accepts
DownislanderEdgartown no longer accepts from other towns.
It would be nice to hear how
Benjamin EDGIt would be nice to hear how / if the MV Hospital / Navigator project will have any impact on driving more wastewater service to Ocean Heights. They're literally installing septic tanks on 9 acres right now when the whole point of that project was to have sewer tie-in from day one. Please editors look into the status as the last wastewater meeting that discussed this potential option was months ago.... All of OH could benefit from this!
Ben is right. Allowing this
Jose Oak BluffsBen is right. Allowing this FOR PROFIT monstrosity to move forward without a plan for wastewater management is a complete failure of governance by our elected officials. And the deforestation is grotesque, ugly, complete and so out of scale with what our so called environmentally aware Island would normally allow. They didn't save a single blade of grass on 9 acres!!
Stop developing
MarieStop developing
What's wrong with this
Thomas S Hodgson West TisburyWhat's wrong with this picture? The developers and builders have been happy to profit over the last fifty years. Now that they've got their money, the public is going to have to come up with the money to try to fix the problem. As is often said, "Privatize the profits, socialize the costs...."
Thomas, I LOVE that saying.
Chris KatamaThomas, I LOVE that saying. It is so true. These developers need to bear the cost of added infrastructure, not just their cost to develop. A great example of this failure is when they built the Field Club, they brought sewer lines into the facility off Katama Road, ignoring the half a dozen or so homes they built on Crocker Drive.
Common sense, thinking, is
Abby Normal The RockCommon sense, thinking, is lacking. We can use urine diverting toilets. That urine is then used as fertilizer. Tests have been done in Vermont with "pure urine" and "diluted urine" with not much difference. Others have "pasteurized" the urine and then used it for fertilizer. We would create a new industry on the island. Also, diminish our need to import fertilizers and not have to lay miles and miles of pipes in the ground with the associated maintenance. The cost is a fraction of sewer improvements/expansions.
It is sad that simple solutions are overruled by expensive ones. Follow the money!
Gee, if only there were some
DownislanderGee, if only there were some fund that the town could draw from to pay for wastewater disposal solutions. I don’t know, something like the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund. Oops, Edgartown has opted not to participate, leaving millions of dollars on the table for upgrading its sewer system. Another short sighted decision.
Everybody take a chill pill.
Jim EdgartownEverybody take a chill pill. The 50 year fix is a good solution and we have the money. Until it is fixed do not issue any new construction permits that affect flow to the plant. To be clear: anew roof is fine but an additional bathroom or bedroom is not.
Many of us have installed the
Barbara Ocean HeightsMany of us have installed the highly efficient new septic systems, at great personal expense, to comply with the Mass Estuary Act and to preserve our beloved Senge. Now we are expected to fund new sewers? While they build that monster of a new for-profit development across the street? NO MORE BIG DEVELOPMENTS without an endowment to pay for infrastructure that degrades as a result - not to mention the loss of habitat of native plants and species - how to we pay for that?
Mind boggling that MGH can
Olli Beatti Edgartown, MAMind boggling that MGH can clear cut a massive wooded parcel, build a monstrosity with no sewer hookup, and yet the state holds up the public from using the Squibnocket Pond Reservation and limits beach access over environmental concerns, or we cannot use Cape Poge or Norton Point over environmental concerns. The misplaced environmental priorities are hurting everyone and the environment on the island. At this rate we will all be living in high rises on clear cut land hooked up to septic systems, but not allowed on the beach.
I understood that the
Ron M EdgartownI understood that the wastewater treatment plant was supposed to be self-funding. In recent discussions about the Town borrowing $3 million to buy the Chappy ferry, Town officials said Town residents would probably not support such borrowing because they would probably think (albeit incorrectly) that the money would only benefit one specific portion of the Town. So why would borrowing this $3 million be any different given that this money would only benefit those residents who are tied into the Town's sewer lines?
Why would Edgartown have to
Chris KatamaWhy would Edgartown have to borrow to fund this capital expenditure. Real estate values have been skyrocketing and the town has benefitted from the revaluation of those homes and the landfall of tax revenue associated with it. The cost of running the town has not increased as the same pace, so they should have a surplus. They also slipped in the short term rental tax, a major source of revenue that cost them absolutely nothing to put in place. I don't know the exact math on this, but I believe 5% on all short term rentals creates millions for Edgartown that they didn't have before. How are they spending this windfall?
Stop all new development
Ronny EdgStop all new development unless the developers pay for sewer hookup on day 1. No more shifting the cost of new development to others. And while we are at it, stop the monstrosity that is Navigator Homes, which is not on sewer and will cause significant environmental damage.
MGH is one of the largest
Susan EdgartownMGH is one of the largest hospital networks. MGH BWH Faber MVH. They have deep pockets. It is crazy not to ask them to capture costs for pipes in the ground if they want permission to build a huge development. It's absolutely irresponsible to have that project on a septic system. It adds to the problem when it could be a big part of the solution. Asking folks to upgrade and put enhanced systems to homes is also short sited. Eventually these homes will all need to be on public sewerage, and every dime should be put towards that, rather than folks paying for new septic and then hook up fees when the pipes get In the road.
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