Mass. Maritime Academy Possible Site For New Wastewater Discharge Pipe

If construction of the new pipe is permitted, it would be the first instance of a Bay State city or town discharging directly into an ocean since an amendment was made to state law in 2014. That year, the Massachusetts Ocean Sanctuaries Act was changed to allow for what is referred to as ocean outfall, or wastewater discharge into the ocean.

Prior to 2014, wastewater could not be dispersed into the ocean or any tidal waters. However, that prohibition created increased degradation of the state’s waterways because communities found it more and more difficult to find suitable places to dispose of treated effluent. For instance, Wareham’s facility sends its treated wastewater into the Agawam River, which has led to nitrogen pollution there as well as in Buttermilk Bay and Little Buttermilk Bay, among other regional bodies of water.

Korrin N. Petersen, senior attorney for the Buzzards Bay Coalition, said that many of the region’s waterways are overloaded with nitrogen pollution, and a lot of them are listed on what she referred to as the federal “Dirty Water” list.

“It means they’ve failed to meet water quality standards,” Ms. Petersen said.

Nitrogen pollution occurs when there is too much nitrogen in water, leading to accelerated growth of algae and other plant life. At its website, the Buzzards Bay Coalition likens nitrogen pollution to “adding fertilizer to your garden,” except that the growth of algae is not something to be desired.

Symptoms of algae growth include lettuce-like clumps that wash up at low tide and foul beaches. Thick, slimy mats of green can form on rocks and tidal flats. When algae blooms, it blocks sunlight from reaching eelgrass in the water. The eelgrass dies and, with it, marine life that is dependent on eelgrass for nutrition. Increased algae growth also leads to decreased oxygen in the water for marine life.

Ms. Petersen said that under the amended Ocean Sanctuaries Act, wastewater can be dispersed into the ocean “as long as there is advanced nitrogen treatment prior to discharge.” But before a discharge pipe is approved at MMA, she said there is a lengthy list of scientific studies that must be done first to ensure that there will be no adverse environmental impact.

“Scientific studies need to be done for fin fish, shellfish, and eelgrass. We don’t want to cause a problem by this. We’re solving, not creating, problems,” she said.

Former Bourne Wastewater Advisory Committee consultant Wesley J. Ewell said that the Wareham facility was designed to treat two million gallons of wastewater a day. However, because it discharges directly into the Agawam River, it is only permitted to treat approximately 1.6 million gallons a day.

The plant’s manager, Guy Camphina Sr., has said he would like to use the facility to its full capacity, Mr. Ewell said. To do that, Mr. Camphina has suggested redirecting the discharge elsewhere.

“His idea was to run an outflow pipe down the railroad track out to the canal. It would be difficult to get permitted for that, but Mass Maritime already has a permit for outflow,” Mr. Ewell said.

The pipe would extend from the expanded treatment plant to Mass Maritime, where the college has its own wastewater treatment facility with discharge into the canal. As part of this new plan, the college would send its effluent to Wareham for treatment there. It would then be returned to campus, along with the other towns’ treated wastewater for discharge into the canal. MMA’s wastewater plant is outdated and needs to be replaced, Mr. Ewell said.

“The total level of nitrogen in wastewater discharged from the older MMA facility is substantially higher than the level in wastewater discharged from the current Wareham facility,” he said.

Paul B. O’Keefe, vice president of operations for Mass Maritime, concurred that the academy’s wastewater has a higher nitrogen content than what comes out of Wareham. That, he said, is because the college’s discharge permit has no restriction on the amount of nitrogen that can be present in its wastewater.

“At this time, we’re not under any EPA requirement to meet any nitrogen levels,” Mr. O’Keefe said.

He added that any future permitting could carry such a restriction, which is part of MMA’s rationale for being involved in the multi-group partnership.

The expanded Wareham plant is Phase Two of a two-pronged approach to Bourne’s wastewater limitations. Phase One is the temporary plant about to be built in Buzzards Bay, near Queen Sewell Park. That will add another 100,000 gallons a day of wastewater capacity to the 200,000 Bourne sends daily to Wareham. The increased capacity has led to an increase in economic development in the Growth Incentive Zone, with a new Hampton Inn, senior apartment facility and assisted living complex.

Mr. Ewell said that the expanded Wareham wastewater plant, with wastewater outflow into the canal at MMA, would eventually negate the need for the temporary plant. However, it could take decades to build the expanded facility, given the studies to be done and the permitting process alone, and that would be a major stumbling block to continued economic growth.

“You have to do two years of background studies before applying for a permit, and then it’s up to 10 years before a permit is approved,” he said.