Mass Test Center gets Gates grant to build capacity for non‑sewered sanitation testing; pilot urine‑diversion projects discussed

The Mass Test Center (MassTC) reported grant and revenue activity to the standing committee on March 23 that could expand testing services and bring new certification work to Barnstable County.

Director Brian Baumgartel said the center is at about 75% of its year-to-date revenue projection ($533,000 of a $709,000 target) with additional billing pending. He said certification testing (including National Sanitation Foundation work) and research projects have kept the center financially stable.

Baumgartel described a capacity-building grant from the Gates Foundation to test non‑sewered sanitation systems to an ISO standard. "We received a 2,800,000 grant from them to capacity build," he said, adding the grant funded equipment, staffing and an accreditation process to enable multi-year testing work that could become a self-sustaining line of business for the center.

Delegates also discussed a pilot in Falmouth testing urine‑diversion and composting toilets with roughly 25 households. Baumgartel said urine diversion separates nitrogen and phosphorus at the source and could support new fertilizer products; he named one commercial urine‑derived product, Webloom, as evidence of a nascent market for such materials. He characterized MassTC's role as research and certification support, not long‑term project management.

Committee members signaled support for MassTC's research role and requested continued updates on revenue, grant outcomes and pilot results.