MA - Boon for water quality, ‘burden’ for homeowners
New nitrogen regulations and the town’s mitigation plan for Tashmoo could be another hit to the housing market.
isbury is implementing a new requirement for septic-system technology intended to help reduce nitrogen pollution in Lake Tashmoo and Lagoon Pond, but some fear the cost for the upgrades could place another financial burden on homeowners.
The Tisbury board of health regulations — which the board voted through in September — are scheduled to go into effect in the beginning of 2024, and would impact some 1,500 properties near Tashmoo and the Lagoon.
Under the revised regulations, the buyer or seller of a home would be required to install the best available nitrogen-removing technology at the time of a property transfer.
The regulation is part of a larger, targeted wastewater management plan for Tashmoo that has been estimated to cost more than $40 million in total, and is designed to clean up the iconic Tisbury waterbody. The plan — which is waiting state approval — includes extending the town sewer line to what is labeled the B2 district, a business area along State Road, but the majority of the plan calls for adding nitrogen-removing technology to backyard septic systems.
The town is subsequently working on a plan to address pollution in the Lagoon, but it has yet to be fully realized.
The idea is to prevent excessive algae growth and the loss of aquatic life caused by nitrogen in the two Tisbury estuaries, not to mention compliance with the federal Clean Water Act.
The nitrogen-removing technology for backyard septic systems, at the high end, can cost a homeowner as much as $50,000, not including annual monitoring and maintenance fees, which can be as much as $1,000 annually.
The systems, what have been called innovative/alternative systems, or I/A systems, reduce nitrogen coming from backyard septic tanks much more effectively than traditional, Title 5 systems. They’ve been heralded as a way to clean up coastal embayments, especially in more remote areas; they are also seen as alternatives to sewer systems, which can be expensive and massive infrastructure undertakings.
But some local engineers and people providing inspections of Title 5 systems worry that the cost could have a profound impact on Tisbury residents.
“It’s a worthy goal, but it comes at a cost,” said Doug Cooper, who provides inspection services for septic systems on the Island, and has decades of experience with septic systems. “This is going to be a huge burden for Tisbury residents.”
