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[Water
Conservation | Water
Quality Protection |
Conservation
Programs in Assabet Watershed Towns
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Water Quality Protection
Point Source - wastewater treatment plants.
In the Assabet watershed, the biggest cause of water quality
problems is nutrient pollution from wastewater treatment plant
effluent. The nutrients in this effluent (phosphorus and nitrogen)
fertilize the river in the same way they nourish your lawn,
causing a slimy mat of green duckweed and algae to cover the
river in the summer. With seven wastewater treatment plants
discharging approximately twelve millions of gallons of treated
effluent per day into the river, the contribution from these
plants comprises from 80-100% of the river in the summer during
low flow periods. While the need to flush the toilet is a
fact of life, there are a few important steps people can take
to make a difference for the river:
- Switch to phosphate-free dishwasher detergent.
For more information, and local suppliers, link to OAR's Nutrient page.
An estimated 12-22% of phosphorus sent to the wastewater
treatment plants comes from this source. Switching to phosphate-free
(or even lower phosphate) detergent will help the river
and save your town money by lowering phosphate-removal costs
at the wastewater treatment facility.
- Support OAR's efforts to advocate for lower
phosphorus limits in the wastewater treatment plant permits
(NPDES permits). These permits, issued jointly by the MA
DEP and US EPA every five years, regulate the quality and
quantity of the effluent the treatment plants can send to
the river.
- Support, through your town meeting vote, funding
for wastewater treatment plant upgrades. The sewered communities
in the Assabet watershed are currently planning to upgrade
their facilities to meet the expected stricter permit limits
to be issued at the end of 2003. These capital improvements
will need voter approval.
 Nonpoint
source - stormwater. Activities on land affect our streams,
often in ways people do not realize. During a storm, whatever
you or your pet have left on your lawn (pesticides, fertilizers,
pet waste) washes away into the nearest stormdrain, which
deposits it, untreated, into the nearest river or stream.
This is true of oil and gas residues as well, which are carried
by stormwater from gas stations, roads, and parking lots to
stormdrains, and into streams.
These pollutants harm fish habitat and
make the Assabet and its streams less appealing for human
recreation. To protect streams,
- Clean up after your pet; dispose of pet waste
properly.
- Do not fertilize before a storm.
- Test your soil; apply only the type and quantity
of nutrients your lawn needs, and adjust the soil pH if
necessary.
- Use slow-release, water-insoluble fertilizers.
- Maintain a natural vegetated buffer strip
between your lawn and your street and driveway to reduce
soil erosion and the transport of fertilizer-enriched rainwater
from your property.
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Leaving a natural,
vegetated strip along the stream is good for the
stream, provides habitat, and looks nice, too.
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- If you own land along a river or stream, maintain
a natural vegetated strip between your property and the
river or stream.
Link. For more about stormwater management,
check the University of Connecticut's website:
Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials.
Their publications page has useful fact sheets.
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