About the Project

The WNMP was completed in four phases: (1) Needs Assessment, (2) Technology Screening, (3) Alternative Scenarios Analysis and Site Evaluation, and (4) Recommended Plan.  The phases are summarized on these pages.  Details can be found in the reports for each phase, which can be viewed and downloaded from the Documents & Resources page.  

Popponesset Spit - sandy Beach and waterline curing along shore
Popponesset Spit

Overview
Although present in the environment naturally, too much nitrogen is considered a pollutant.  It is a nutrient that feeds aquatic plants, including algae, which consume oxygen as they grow and die off.  When this happens, there is no longer enough oxygen in the water for aquatic life, causing fish kills and harming plants such as eelgrass that serve as a nursery for many important species.  The decomposition of organic matter creates odors and is unsightly, resulting in growing layers of muck on the bottoms of our water bodies, impacting recreational uses such as swimming and boating, as well as the economic backbone of the Cape economy – tourism and fishing. 

Moody Pond surrounded by trees showing Autumn colors
Moody Pond

The Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP) has estimated the maximum amount of a pollutant (in this case nitrogen) that each estuary in Mashpee can receive and still meet water quality standards. This is known as the Total Maximum Daily Load (or TMDL). The results of MEP studies have helped guide the Town’s planning process. 

The WNMP focuses on specific estuaries.  The Project Planning Area (PPA) includes the entire town of Mashpee, the Popponesset Bay watershed that extends into the towns of Barnstable and Sandwich, and the Waquoit Bay East watershed that extends into the towns of Falmouth and Sandwich. 

The Mashpee Sewer Commission hired the engineering firm GHD Inc. (formerly Stearns & Wheler, LLC) to prepare the WNMP working with the UMass-Dartmouth School of Marine Science and Technology.  Each phase was presented at Sewer Commission meetings for public review and comment.  The Recommended Plan will meet the Town’s future wastewater treatment needs while protecting the ponds and estuaries Mashpee shares with Barnstable, Falmouth and Sandwich.