Presenter says Quissett Harbor plan leans on monitoring, shellfish and phased septic upgrades

Kristen Rathgen, a consultant with Sciencewares, told the Town of Falmouth Water Quality Management Committee that Quissett Harbor has been designated a nitrogen‑sensitive area and that the town plans to apply for a 20‑year watershed permit rather than force every parcel to replace septic systems immediately. "It's designated as a nitrogen sensitive area," Rathgen said, noting that the permit process allows the town to combine alternatives such as shellfish, fertilizer and stormwater credits with targeted septic upgrades.

Rathgen presented current and build‑out loads: about 1,200 kilograms of nitrogen currently entering Quissett versus a TMDL target of 967 kilograms, leaving roughly 230 kilograms to remove under state guidance. She described a "preferred" plan that uses full alternative credits and a locally designed "contingency" plan that counts shellfish at half potential and builds buffer into septic reduction assumptions in case alternatives underperform. The contingency is intended as a conservative local fallback rather than the state backup approach, Rathgen said.

Committee members pressed about timeline and risk. A committee member asked whether submitting a contingency that looks less aggressive than the preferred plan could invite criticism from DEP; Rathgen answered that the preferred plan would be shown as the town's chosen route while the contingency would demonstrate conservative backup options. Resident Matt Hanley urged attention to stormwater runoff near the harbor and asked whether the town would pursue low‑cost stormwater improvements; Rathgen signaled that DPW engineering would handle detailed stormwater questions. The committee agreed to continue reviewing the draft before any formal submission to the state and to maintain phased monitoring during early permit years.