New Math: Wastewater Treatment for Everyone While there are many moving parts to solving our wastewater challenge, for this exercise we will keep things simple. It is true that the “devil is in the details” but a simple approach provides a great starting point! Town of Barnstable Holistic Plan using Enhanced Individual total housing units: 27,000 Alternative systems (EIA) End of Phase 1 (From CFAC Report) • Current Phase 1 estimate of 3,534 sewer year 2030-2033: (new sewer connections) 3,534 connections= $500 million. • Current Town sewer connections: 3,220. Current sewer connections: 3,220 • Plan B. Option 1: STANDARD OPTION - 10,000 EIAs NO wastewater treatment: 20,000 at cost to Town of $180 million. ($46,000 per household. Homeowner pays $10,000, Phase 1 is estimated to cost the town $500 million state tax credit of $18,000, Town SUBSIDY of $18,000.) dollars. Phases 2 & 3, which are slated for years 10 to 30 • Plan B. Option 2: THE AFFORDABLE OPTION - of the plan (2033 t0 2053), may cost well over $2 billion 10,000 EIAs at a cost to town of $340 million. when you adjust for 昀椀nancing costs and in昀氀ation. ($46,000 per household. Homeowner pays monthly In this plan, the ~13,000 homes which exist in the 昀椀nance charge of $60 to cover $12,000 of SRF “white space” in the map on pages 6 & 7, receive no borrowings. Town SUBSIDY of $34,000.) wastewater treatment. Many of these homes are also All 27,000 households receive wastewater treatment. on private household water wells. For these families, their household water wells, and waste disposal Total cost: $1,040,000. cesspools or Title 5 septic systems are often only about 100 ft. apart. Simply put: Comparative Analysis Using Bar Graph (Exhibit 2, Page 8) Phase 1 connects 3,534 households for $500 million and New Math postulates 20,000 EIA wastewater Massachusetts Estuary Plan with Sewer Only treatment systems for $520 million dollars! • Current Phase 1 estimate: 3,534 sewer connections= $500 million. A CARROT AND A STICK • BCWC projections for Phases 2 & 3: Cape Cod should not have any cesspools or Title 5 7,550 connections= $2 billion. systems. Estuary protection regulations from Mass • Current Town sewer connections: 3,220. DEP are a start, but only that. Local municipalities and boards of health should work to a higher standard and • Total Town sewer connections: 3,220 (Current) provide incentives as well as regulations to promote + 3,534 (Phase 1) + 7,550 (Phase 2&3) = 14,304. This clean water for all. represents 53% of the Town’s current households. • Total projected cost: $2.5 Billion. Disclaimer: Data referenced in this newsletter is based on available data at time of publication. The amount of any • Untreated households: 12,696 or 47%. State Revolving Fund (SRF) subsidy and/or credit is unknown. BCleanWater.org Spring/Summer 2024 | Barnstable Clean Water Coalition | 11