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Falmouth board urged to form committee to equitably spread $1B-plus water-quality costs
Summary
Board of Health members told the Select Board that compliance with state-mandated watershed plans will cost the town more than $1 billion over coming decades and urged creation of an advisory committee to design fair cost-sharing, possible town-led septic procurement, and state engagement for funding.
Board of Health members told the Falmouth Select Board on Feb. 9 that complying with state-mandated water-quality plans — including sewers, treatment, an outflow pipe and thousands of denitrifying onsite systems — will be a multiyear, multibillion-dollar undertaking that will not affect all property owners equally.
George Ofelder, speaking for the Board of Health and the Water Quality Management Committee, said town- and watershed-scale mitigation projects could total “more than a billion dollars” over the next 20–30 years and noted wide variations in what individual property owners will pay depending on whether they must connect to sewers, install an advanced I/A septic system, or do nothing.
“What we’re suggesting,” Ofelder said, “is that you form a committee now to identify fair ways to distribute the cost and, if possible, ease the financial burden.” He and other health board members argued that knowing financing plans while developing watershed projects would help the town’s long-term capital budgeting and public acceptance.
Select Board members reacted to several ideas floated by health staff and citizens: a town-run procurement or delivery program to buy I/A systems in bulk; a monitoring program to relieve some owner responsibilities; and using the town’s customary 70/30 cost split for sewered properties as one model for sharing capital costs. Mr. Brown said the town could consider purchasing and delivering I/A units to owners to reduce time and cost.
Board members also emphasized the need to press the state delegation for more funding. “This is an unfunded mandate in many respects,” Mr. Richardson said; several members urged early outreach to Beacon Hill and neighboring Cape towns to pursue a regional approach to funding and project sequencing.
The boards agreed to explore forming a working group or standing committee (members debated whether a short-term working group or a standing committee with posted minutes would be preferable) and to return to the topic with a proposed membership that includes finance expertise and nitrogen-management knowledge.
