Barnstable County updates Assembly on Aqua Fund loans, MassTC testing center and septic utility planning

Barnstable County’s Department of Health and Environment briefed the Assembly on three ongoing wastewater efforts: the county’s Cape Cod Aqua Fund low‑interest loan program, the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (MassTC), and a proposed septic utility model to manage and maintain advanced on‑site systems.

Brian Baumgartel, director of the wastewater division and MassTC lead, described growing demand for Aqua Fund loans and the county’s role in testing and certifying proprietary and nonproprietary on‑site systems for nitrogen and phosphorus reduction. He told the assembly that the division has been “very busy” and that “wastewater is a key issue here on Cape Cod.”

Aqua Fund and financing: County staff said Aqua Fund issued about $7.2 million in loans in fiscal 2025 to date, with an average loan near $22,000. The program offers tiered interest rates — 0%, 2%, 4% and (for market listings) 5% — depending on income and whether the project is in a town’s designated nitrogen‑sensitive watershed. Program staff said the fund is self‑supporting (loan interest and repayments cover most program costs) and estimated potential demand across Cape Cod of roughly $152 million over 10 years as towns advance sewer projects and alternative onsite installations.

MassTC research and approvals: Baumgartel said MassTC’s testing and certification work for advanced on‑site technologies is accelerating. He described technologies now achieving median total nitrogen effluent levels in the ~5 mg/L range and noted that centralized treatment plants typically operate near 3–5 mg/L. He named a small number of technologies close to, or in, advanced Massachusetts approval tracks, including Clean2 and Nitrex, and said a nonproprietary “layer cake” approach exists but lacks a private sponsor to push it through the full approval process. He also outlined a $416,000 MassDEP grant the center received to pilot urine‑diversion fixtures and assess management pathways for separated urine as a nutrient source or treatment stream.

Septic utility and operations: Baumgartel said the county is developing a flexible septic utility and related services to help towns manage the long‑term operation, maintenance and monitoring of large numbers of advanced onsite systems. He told the assembly that contractors and installers are already in short supply and that towns’ notices to connect (for sewer phases) have generated heavy demand for Aqua Fund assistance; the county’s staff reported receiving more than 10 Aqua Fund applications per day for a period after a town notice was issued.

MassTC also reported increased revenue from certification testing and grants and is expanding lab and meeting facilities at Joint Base Cape Cod. County staff emphasized workforce development, research into cost‑reducing technology and the need to explore funding pathways so homeowners required to install advanced systems are not left with disproportionate costs compared with sewered properties.

Delegates asked about system costs, maintenance, phosphorus removal, and timelines; county staff said on‑site advanced systems typically average substantially more than conventional Title V systems, and that some systems require periodic carbon replacement or other consumables. County staff said they would return with updates and will continue coordinating with towns and state agencies as approvals progress.