The Water Quality Management Committee on Dec. 18 signaled support for recommending that the Town of Falmouth seek ways to provide financial relief to homeowners who will be required to install advanced (IA) nitrogen‑reducing septic systems as part of watershed and sewering plans.

Committee member Speaker 6 proposed that "our committee [be] in favor of providing some sort of relief for those individuals required" to install IAs, a motion Speaker 5 seconded; the discussion continued but no formal recorded vote was recorded. The committee asked staff to draft a concise package to present to the Select Board early next year outlining obstacles and possible approaches.

Why it matters: Town rules and state designations will likely require many property owners in nitrogen‑sensitive areas to upgrade septic systems or connect to sewers. Committee members stressed that the water‑quality benefits are diffuse across the town while the cost burden will fall on a relatively small group of homeowners, prompting debate over fairness and how much, if anything, the town should pay.

"The benefit is a diffuse benefit for everybody in town," said Jay Goldston, Precinct 2, during public comment, urging the town to consider broader cost‑sharing. Several members described precedents in Falmouth projects and other Cape towns and sketched subsidy designs that would limit town exposure while encouraging early participation.

Legal and funding constraints were a central concern. Speaker 2 reminded the committee of a town counsel opinion from August advising that subsidies for IA installations on private property are not recommended. Committee members discussed two pathways to permit municipal assistance in this context: seek a special act from the state legislature or fund assistance through a voter‑approved Proposition 2½ override targeted to IA subsidies. "There are two ways that we can get to allowing the subsidy on private land," Speaker 1 said, describing the special act and the override as options.

Design options discussed included the town procuring IA hardware in bulk and providing equal financial assistance to each participating homeowner, and a phased subsidy that declines over time to reward early adopters. One procurement approach proposed that the town buy the IA modules and bid installation in staged lots to reduce per‑unit costs and standardize maintenance and spare‑parts needs.

Committee members repeatedly emphasized the need to reconcile subsidy proposals with existing finance rules and precedents. Speakers cited the Little Pond and New Silver Beach projects as historic references for a 70/30 split that often guided betterment cost allocations, and noted that betterment charges are typically not eligible for the state tax credit while lateral/connection costs may be.

Next steps: The committee directed staff to draft a short presentation for the Select Board summarizing the committee's position, obstacles (including the town counsel opinion), suggested subsidy designs and procurement options, and potential funding paths. The committee also agreed to pursue a joint meeting with the Board of Health to align regulatory triggers (new construction, failure, increases in flow, and ‘‘substantial improvement’’ thresholds) before finalizing a recommendation.