Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $165,000 in Grants to Improve and Protect Water Quality in Four Communities

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today awarded $165,000 in grants to four communities to conduct nonpoint source (NPS) pollution assessment and water quality management to address impairments in local waterbodies. The projects, selected by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), are located in the towns of Mashpee, Bourne, Sharon, and Georgetown. The grants are funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the federal Clean Water Act.

“It is critical to public health and the environment that these land-based sources of pollution be removed before they can flow into our waterbodies and degrade water quality,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “These are important projects that will help ensure equitable access to improved water quality, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and clean and safe drinking water sources.”

“Local officials have the difficult task of addressing often indiscrete sources of water pollution that cause harmful algal blooms, nutrient discharges, and elevated pathogen levels in streams, lakes, and harbors,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “These grants help MassDEP partner with communities to implement simple, but effective strategies to eliminate the pollutants at the source and restore impaired waters for the public to enjoy.”

Nonpoint source pollution refers to contaminants that are carried to a waterway because of precipitation and stormwater runoff from the land or infiltration into the soil. Common types of NPS pollution include phosphorus and nitrogen from lawn and garden fertilizers; bacteria from faulty septic systems, pet waste, and waterfowl; oil and grease from parking lots and roadways; and sediment from construction activities and soil erosion.

The four grants awarded are:

Town of Mashpee – $50,000
Mashpee is partnering with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to advance up to five previously identified stormwater retrofit concepts for the Mashpee Town Landing site to preliminary design. The stormwater retrofits will reduce stormwater contributions including sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants to Santuit Pond, which has historically experienced harmful algal blooms and other water quality issues. This effort is part of a larger multifaceted approach to address internal and external sources of excess nutrients to Santuit Pond. The preliminary designs will allow the town to seek further funding for final design, permitting, and implementation of the proposed retrofits.

Town of Bourne – $50,000
This project will assess the sub-marine groundwater discharge into the Red Brook Harbor to determine whether sediments are a positive or negative source of nutrients on the ecosystem. This builds on two previous Red Brook Harbor projects in monitoring and modeling to support the overall development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The project will support management planning by providing a critical piece of site-specific information to support the development of a TMDL.

Town of Sharon – $40,400
Sharon will partner with the Neponset River Watershed Association to develop a watershed-based plan for Lake Massapoag, which has historically experienced cyanobacteria blooms and elevated pathogen levels. The lake is a valuable resource for the town and provides recreational uses for many groups, including two summer camps, a town beach, and residential neighborhoods. Under this project, the town will perform in-lake assessments of water and soil quality, and watershed assessments as critical components to determine the existing pollutant load. It will also determine the necessary reductions required to meet water quality standards. Based on the results of the assessments, the project team will identify possible Best Management Practice locations and conduct field assessments to prioritize up to 10 sites to advance for preliminary designs.

Town of Georgetown – $24,600
Georgetown plans to conduct water quality and shoreline assessments to support the development of two watershed-based plans for Pentucket Pond and Rock Pond, both of which are considered impaired waters. The project team will use the assessment results to develop conceptual designs for five high priority sites.

“Congratulations to the town of Sharon, in partnership with the Neponset River Watershed Association, on receiving this critical funding for water quality management at Lake Massapoag,” said State Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). “The lake represents an invaluable source of year-long community recreation for all who enjoy the outdoors, and this funding will help maintain the Lake's water quality and prevent future closures so that residents can continue to enjoy this highly utilized and beloved location in the town.  Thank you to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for supporting the preservation of cherished natural resources in our communities.” 

“As a former Waterfront Supervisor for the Sharon Recreation Department, it pained me whenever we had to restrict access to Lake Massapoag, Sharon’s most valuable resource, due to elevated bacteria levels,” said State Representative Ted Phillips (D-Sharon). “This grant will help us start to identify and address the source(s) of these problems so that we can implement new strategies to better maintain our lake and keep it available for all to enjoy.”

“Water quality is an enormous issue throughout the 2nd Essex district and the Commonwealth,” said State Representative Kristin Kassner (D-Hamilton). “I’m grateful to the EPA and MassDEP for making the funds available to assess the contamination in Pentucket Pond and Rock Pond in Georgetown, and I look forward to working with Georgetown officials to develop and enact watershed-based plans for these impaired waterbodies. Within a watershed, everything is connected; when we improve water quality in one body, the entire watershed benefits.”

For more information about these grants, please click on the Water Quality Management Planning Program.

About MassDEP
MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

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