Picasset Water Quality Coalition urges tougher action on cesspools after beach closure; board discusses outreach and enforcement limits

Keith Barber, representing the Picasset Water Quality Coalition, told the Bourne Board of Health during public comment on June 24 that Patroissa Beach was closed on June 19 due to bacterial contamination and that recurring summer closures appear linked to increased seasonal use of cesspools.

"Patroissa Beach is closed again. It was closed on Friday, June 19, due to bacteria," Barber said, adding the group believes the closure pattern recurs as summer residents return and use older cesspools. He urged the board to consider reducing the regulatory compliance window for cesspool replacement from two years to one and to improve beach-closure signage at informal access points.

Board members and staff acknowledged the concern but noted enforcement limits: beach-closure signage is advisory and not an enforceable ban on swimming, and staff said many cesspools predate Title 5 recordkeeping, so identifying them and notifying owners is a multi-year effort. Staff said systems are typically installed quickly once permits and designs are in hand, but engineering and installer availability can delay projects. The board discussed outreach, possible policy changes, and the idea of staged extension milestones to monitor progress for upgrades.

Staff said they have not received reports of overflows or backups at the church property recently and that letters could be sent to identified cesspool owners; the board encouraged public education and coordinated reminders as the town expands its inventory of suspected cesspools.