News
Town votes, watershed plans, CPWB projects and events, newest first.
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Falmouth gets $41 million state loan for first phase of Great Pond sewer expansion
Falmouth has been awarded a $41.3 million zero-interest state loan for phase one of the Great Pond sewer expansion, which would connect parts of the Maravista and Teaticket peninsulas; the project total…
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A year after the state ADU law, septic costs keep Outer Cape accessory units rare
Outer Cape towns logged almost no ADU applications in early 2025, and homeowners and planners point to wastewater upgrades as the biggest obstacle.
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Barnstable’s two-year floating wetland test in Long Pond removed only a few grams of phosphorus
Ten planted rafts in Barnstable’s Long Pond took up 6.87 grams of phosphorus in 2024 and 1.94 grams in 2025, too little to change the pond’s water, and materials for a full-size…
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CPWB asks Mashpee to require the most effective nitrogen-reducing septic systems
In January and March 2026, CPWB asked Mashpee’s Board of Health to require new septic systems to reach 10 to 11 mg/L of nitrogen, a step the board took up in its…
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Mashpee wins state clean water loan and grant money for Phase 2 sewer expansion
The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust approved about $32.7 million for Mashpee’s Phase 2 sewer project, which targets nitrogen flowing to Popponesset Bay, a neighboring watershed to Waquoit Bay.
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Mashpee gets $130,000 in the latest round of state nitrogen planning grants
MassDEP awarded $830,000 to nine Cape towns for nitrogen planning, including $130,000 to Mashpee and $7,182 to Falmouth.
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CPWB rallies residents against nitrogen from the Reserve at Quashnet Valley
In a letter to the Enterprise and a January 17 letter-writing session, CPWB urged residents to tell the state that a 25-home subdivision above the Quashnet River must not add nitrogen to…
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CPWB backs a refundable state tax credit for septic upgrades
CPWB asked the Legislature to pass H.4082, which would let households that owe little state income tax still use the Title 5 septic credit of up to $18,000 for sewer hookups and…
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Mashpee lines up fixes for herring passage, including the dry Johns Pond ladder
Mashpee conservation staff outlined repairs to several herring runs, including plans to revive the Johns Pond fish ladder on the Quashnet River by 2027.
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State’s 50-year coastal resilience plan puts the Cape and Islands in five districts
Massachusetts released its final ResilientCoasts Plan, dividing the coast into 15 regional districts, five of them on the Cape and Islands, to coordinate climate adaptation.
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Falmouth requires nitrogen-reducing septic systems for new construction
Falmouth’s Board of Health unanimously adopted rules requiring nitrogen-reducing septic systems for new construction or added flow in nitrogen-regulated areas, effective November 15, 2025.
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After the 2025 filing deadline, Bourne faces costly work on its watershed permits
Bourne beat the state’s July 2025 deadline by filing a notice of intent, but its leaders expect permitting costs to run well over $300,000.
