On March 26, the BPC held an informative talk on decentralized or "package" wastewater treatment plants that manage wastewater in specific neighborhoods and locations. David Bennett - a Brewster resident, environmental services engineer, Chair of the Town of Brewster Board of Health, and member of the town's Water Resources Task Force - delivered an engaging presentation and provided handouts that detailed an overview of such plants and their associated economics, public health effects, and sustainability. These handouts were prepared by the EPA Decentralized Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Partnership. To download the documents, simply click on each link: Dave Bennett's Presentation Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Introduction Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Economics Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Green Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Public Health Pictured above is Mr. Bennett delivering his presentation at the Brewster Ladies Library.
Herring Run Eco Paddle Saturday, May 4: 10 AM - 12 PM Upper Mill Pond, Brewster Join us for an inspiring day on the waters of one of the most iconic and productive herring runs on all of Cape Cod - the Stony Brook Run and Mill Ponds in Brewster. The BPC and SUPfari Adventures (a BPC business partner) invite you to this Eco Paddle on Saturday, May 4 from 10 AM - 12 PM (rain date is Sunday, May 5). Each paddle is limited to 12 participants. SUPfari Adventures will supply kayaks, paddles, and life jackets. If you have your own equipment, feel free to bring that along! The fee is $75 per person; pre-registration and payment are required. Reservations are limited and will go fast, so be sure to sign up soon! Photograph above left: a previous Eco Paddle on Upper Mill Pond. Photograph above right: juvenile alewives (river herring) in Slough Pond by Janice Riley, used with her permission.
Join the BPC on Saturday, April 27 during Beautify Brewster Day!
The BPC team - always one of the largest and most fun groups - will participate in the 12th Annual Beautify Brewster Day to help clean up roads and paths in Brewster that might contribute to pond and groundwater degradation. Last year we collected over 3,100 nip bottles, which helped pass the town nip ban at the Brewster Spring Town Meeting. We hope you can join us. Details will be emailed to volunteers after registration. Click here to join us! Pictured below is the BPC group during the 2023 Beautify Brewster Day. An interested group of Brewster residents attended a tour of the Orleans Wastewater Treatment Plant on Thursday, March 21, organized by the BPC. This tour included a thorough overview of this state-of-the-art plant, all of its components, the design and infrastructure, and how it functions. The tour was led by Dan Sullivan-Xenos, the project manager in charge of the plant's management and maintenance, and members of his staff. Joining this tour was Kevin Galligan, a member of the Town of Orleans Select Board, who was involved in the early stages of the planning and construction of the treatment plant.
This facility is currently only servicing a portion of the Town of Orleans but has plans for further build out to operate at full capacity. Tour members were impressed by the information obtained and that they were able to get a close look at how the plant operates. If you missed this first tour, there is still room to participate in the second tour, on Thursday, March 28 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM. To register, please click here. Pictured below is the tour group along with Kevin Galligan and Dan Sullivan-Xenos (left to right, wearing hard hats). Session 1: Tuesday April 16; 4:00 - 6:00 PM Brewster Council on Aging 1673 Main Street, Brewster Session 2: Saturday, April 20; 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Brewster Ladies Library 1822 Main Street, Brewster The BPC is hosting two community forums to discuss articles that will be on the town's Spring Warrant related to water resources. BPC representatives will review the details of the articles and answer any questions you may have. Both forums are free and open to the public. Your registration is appreciated to assist with our planning purposes. Photograph courtesy of William F. Pomeroy
Tuesday, March 26 5:00 - 6:30 PM Brewster Ladies Library 1822 Main Street, Brewster Many communities on Cape Cod, including Brewster, have decentralized or “package” sewage treatment plants to manage wastewater in specific neighborhoods or locations. This informative talk, presented by Brewster resident and engineer, David Bennett, will allow you to hear from an expert about the benefits and limitations of decentralized sewage treatment plants and where some of these systems are located in Brewster.
Thursday, March 21 and Thursday, March 28, 2024 3:00 - 5:00 PM Town of Orleans Wastewater Treatment Plant 39 Overland Way, Orleans Sewering with a centralized treatment plant is an option for managing wastewater that is being adopted by many Cape Cod towns. Here is an opportunity to see one in operation. The BPC has arranged for two tours of the Orleans Wastewater Treatment Plant. Each free tour is limited to 20 participants, so we encourage you to register soon. This facility, opened in May 2023, currently services approximately 1,100 customers (business and residential) and can handle up to an average of 350,000 gallons of septage per day. The tours will explain how the plant works beginning with the planning process to build it, customer hookup to treatment, how effluent disposal is treated, and give you an opportunity to see the entire facility at work. Each session will start with a short overview presentation and safety briefing before heading out to tour the facility, and then return to a conference room for questions and answers. Please note that the tours include some walking and stair climbing, but participants are welcome to skip those aspects of the programs, if preferred. For the March 21 tour, register here. For the March 28 tour, register here. Photograph courtesy of the Town of Orleans
The Brewster Ponds Coalition participated in the Brewster Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 “Eco Expo” at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History on February 20, during school vacation week. We helped celebrate the ecological and economic benefits of “going green," highlighting the work that BPC does in protecting and improving the health of Brewster's ponds through science, education and advocacy. A fun time was had by adults and children alike. Left photo above: BPC representatives Marietta Nilson, Susan Bridges, Kristi Dondlinger, Nancy Ortiz, and Marcia Kelb as "Shelly the Turtle." Right photo above: Shelly the Turtle engaging a young visitor during the Eco Expo.
Massachusetts’ New Title 5 Septic System and Watershed Permit Regulations:
How Do They Effect Brewster? In July 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MASS DEP) issued changes to Title 5 regulations and developed new watershed regulations for areas on Cape Cod that are nitrogen sensitive. Since then, the Town of Brewster has been proactive in responding to the new regulations. To read more and understand how Brewster residents are impacted, click here. Check out these additional resources to stay informed: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11 AM - 3 PM Cape Cod Museum of Natural History 869 Main Street, Brewster The Eco Expo is a mini-trade show featuring Brewster Chamber of Commerce businesses and organizations that focus on ecological as well as economic sustainability. The event, held at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, will occur during the Brewster schools' February vacation week. The BPC will once again have an informational table and activity for children, as well as a visit from "Shelly the Turtle!" The Eco Expo is free with admission to the museum, so you can enjoy not only this fun event but also all the museum's exhibits and attractions. For more information, visit the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History website. Pictured above at Eco Expo 2023 are visitors and Shelly the Turtle.
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