From the Falmouth Enterprise · June 27, 2025 · By Katie Nelson
Every seat was taken at Falmouth’s June 25, 2025 Water Quality Management Committee meeting, most of them by CPWB members, for a discussion of the algal mats rising in Waquoit Bay. Scientists from the Waquoit Bay Reserve explained that the dense red seaweed in the mats has been documented for decades and that septic systems are the largest source of the nutrients feeding it, reaching the bay through groundwater, runoff and the Quashnet and Childs rivers. Speaking for CPWB, Maggie Megaw noted that sewers for the area are 10 to 15 years away and asked for action in the meantime: an information session on septic upgrades, generous subsidies for denitrifying systems, urine diversion and composting toilets, sites for permeable reactive barriers, data sharing with Mashpee and Sandwich, and better stormwater control around the bay.
Committee members praised the turnout and agreed Waquoit Bay should move up the town’s planning list.
This is CPWB’s summary of a news article. The full article and its photos are published by the Falmouth Enterprise.
Drafted with AI assistance from the linked source.
