Water quality in Orleans has been degrading for decades, and the town has put considerable resources into tracking and restoring our waters – both fresh and marine – since 2000. OPC has been at the forefront of educating Orleans citizens about the need to improve water quality since its inception in 2003. We were early advocates of sewering at a time when many opposed it because of concern over costs.
There are many factors contributing to water quality degradation, but the greatest impact comes from human waste – septic system effluent entering groundwater carrying nitrogen and phosphorous to our water bodies. Phosphorous binds with the iron in our sandy soils, so it mainly impairs fresh waterbodies located within 500 feet away. However, nitrogen can travel 10 miles or more from a septic system leach field to a saltwater bay or pond. It is hard to imagine that a house miles away from Pleasant Bay (as an example) is contributing to its decline, but it is not just the waterfront properties that are harming our waters. It’s every property on Cape Cod! The only difference between shorefront properties and inland homes is the time it takes nitrogen to travel to the water body.
It’s important to understand and address all the factors that are impairing our waters, but nitrogen and phosphorous in human waste coming from our septic systems are clearly the most impactful. Orleans’ current wastewater plan calls for primarily using sewering to eliminate septic effluent from impaired water bodies. In some areas, Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs) may be used in lieu of sewering if they are found to be a less costly but still effective approach for a particular geographical area. Aquaculture – the use of farmed oysters to filter water – is also being used in Lonnie’s Pond to reduce the number of properties which must be sewered.
Implementation of the Orleans wastewater plan is being accomplished by addressing geographical areas of town in phases. A map of approved and proposed wastewater collection service areas in Orleans showing the planned phases can be seen at:
Because Orleans has a wastewater plan, approved by the MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which includes a Watershed Permit for Pleasant Bay, Orleans property owners are exempt from the 2023 DEP regulation requiring installation of new, costly nitrogen reducing septic systems for all properties within nitrogen sensitive areas.
Implementation of the Orleans wastewater plan began in 2020 with construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant and installation of Phase 1 of the collection system (Orleans’ downtown area). Once the current plan is fully implemented, approximately 60% of the town will be sewered or utilizing PRBs.
The Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was designed to enable doubling its capacity when needed, opened in 2022 and properties began connecting in 2023. Construction for Phase 2, Meetinghouse Pond, should be completed by the end of 2025. Phase 3, Lakes and Ponds (which aims to protect our two most frequently used lakes – Crystal and Pilgrim, and two saltwater ponds – Lonnie’s and Arey’s Ponds), will be voted for approval at the May 2025 Annual Town Meeting. If approved, it should be completed by 2028. OPC encourages its members to attend Town Meeting and vote in favor of Phase 3.
There are currently 16 phases defined in the wastewater plan. But it is an adaptive management plan, meaning water quality will continue to be tracked along with progress toward the goal of restoring currently impaired water bodies. There will likely be ongoing changes or adaptations to the current plan, and new or improved technologies are always being evaluated.