County's Clean Water Center outlines septic-utility services, urine-diversion pilot and $417,000 grant
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Summary
Barnstable County's Clean Water Center briefed commissioners on on-site septic utility services, workforce training plans, a urine-diversion pilot tied to a Gates Foundation project and a $417,000 grant to install and monitor 25 systems in Falmouth watersheds.
Brian Horsley, director of the county's wastewater division and Clean Water Center, told commissioners that the county's septic utility (an RME-style responsible management entity) can offer database tracking, sampling, operations support and, in some cases, full management of on-site nitrogen-removing systems.
Horsley described workforce shortages and said the center is preparing training and certification classes for on-site system operators. He also highlighted finance "calculator" tools developed with Nature Conservancy'affiliated consultants (NatureVest) to help towns compare sewering costs with on-site technologies.
On urine diversion, Horsley said the Gates Foundation project is entering a test phase: the county is completing ISO accreditation for lab testing, preparing site work and expects an initial test system in March. He said the county received $417,000 in a 3-19 grant to install, operate and monitor 25 urine-diversion fixtures in Falmouth watersheds and to subsidize installation for participating homeowners.
Horsley explained regulatory hurdles: plumbing-board approvals for European fixtures, DEP engagement on reuse pathways, and the need to identify safe markets or processing for diverted urine. "Urine contains, depending on the estimate you're looking at, somewhere between 80–85% of nitrogen in our wastewater stream," Horsley said, noting potential fertilizer products already approved by state regulators.
Commissioners asked about monitoring, countywide rollout and whether denitrifying septic monitoring could be run as a county service. Several commissioners urged the county to consider managing monitoring centrally to produce robust performance data and limit enforcement burden on local health agents.
The board did not adopt a new policy at the meeting but received a set of next steps and funding updates. Horsley said a new field technician will join in February and that the Clean Water Center is preparing lab and test facilities now targeted for construction in late 2026 and early 2027.