Plans for the outfall pipe project were presented to FHMNA at our Annual Meeting on August 5th and are moving forward at a rapid pace. “Why is an outfall better for Falmouth than groundwater discharge?”, was handed out at the Annual Meeting and was emailed to members on 10/21/23 entitled “Outfall Pipe vs. Goundwater Discharge”. Also see the DRAFT Minutes from that meeting which include 19 questions and answers regarding this subject during our Q&A session with Stephen Rafferty, Chair of the Water Quality Management Committee (WQMC).
The Falmouth Select Board and the WQMC have already approved an outfall pipe as the town’s preferred long-term plan for wastewater discharge. A study has been conducted and it has been determined that a discharge into Vineyard Sound would be better than into Buzzard Bay due to the greater East-West tidal flow, not so far offshore, where the effluent would be diffused and substantially diluted. A further study has determined that the Kite Park in Falmouth Heights would be the preferred location due to matters such as water depth, proximity of eel grass, and the length of pipe required, etc.
On October 4th, the Falmouth Finance Committee voted to endorse $750,000 for an outfall pipe that would discharge “tertiary treated” wastewater into Vineyard Sound, underneath the Kite Park in Falmouth Heights, as proposed by the town. The first phase of the project is estimated at $1.4 million which would encompass data collection and permitting. The town plans to pay the initial permitting cost of $750,000, with $150,000 from the state and $600,000 from the Air Force Center for Engineering and Environment.
The proposal for funds will now go before the Town Meeting on November 13 for approval. Click here to read Warrant #3 printed in the 10/20/23 Falmouth Enterprise, page 12 regarding Capital Improvements. The Warrant Booklet is published on the Town website. See ARTICLE 3 (Capital Improvements) on pages 5 & 6 and the request form for Outfall-Data Collection and Permitting Phase 1 on pages 83 & 84.
The Falmouth Enterprise article on this matter appears on pages 11 and 12 of the October 13 edition, “Committee Discusses, Debates, Endorses Sewering and Outfall Work”. Click here to read the same article online with a slightly different headline.
Click here to find a Power Point report titled “Offshore Outfall Progress Report” which was presented at the Water Quality Management Committee meeting on October 11th. (Depending on your device, the link may either open or ask you to save it. It has been scanned for viruses, so if you save it and then open it, you should be able to read the entire Power Point report).
Note: the report contains an “Optimistic Schedule” for the project which is enlightening. Below is the page noting the schedule from this Power Point report in case you are unable to open the link on the FHMNA website. .
• Finish USGS evaluation in December 2024
• Complete borings in fall of 2024
• Have two years of in situ data (marine fishery/eel grass) in 2025
• Obtain funding for outfall permit application in fall of 2025
• Submit outfall discharge permit application in early 2026
• NPDES/MEPA review and approval by late 2027
• Design outfall and effluent pipe 2028
• Construction 2029-2032. Based on time for land-side effluent pipe.