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Scituate approves $10,000 study to identify sources of contamination in Patuxent River watershed
Summary
The council authorized Weston & Sampson and town planning staff to identify potential contamination sources to the Patuxent River's northern branch, approving up to $10,000 for property analysis and a follow-up recommendations report to the council.
The Scituate Town Council approved a request from the Scituate Conservation Commission to engage Weston & Sampson and the town planner to identify sources of contamination affecting the Patuxent River’s northern branch.
Councilman McCormack and other members discussed the scope: the work would identify cesspool locations, stormwater outfalls and other discharges within roughly 400 feet of the watershed and produce a report with recommended next steps. The authorization includes an amount not to exceed $10,000, to be paid from the town’s management, engineering and consulting budget line, which finance reported has a balance of approximately $66,000 available.
Some councilors cautioned the study may identify homeowners’ systems the town cannot force to change absent a property sale or a regulatory trigger; others noted potential grant or federal funding and stressed that identifying the source is a necessary first step before remediation can be planned.
The motion to approve the study and fund it from the engineering/consulting budget passed by voice vote. Town Planner Ashley Sweet was present via Zoom and available for questions.
