Senate Passage of Landmark Wastewater Management Legislation

July 2, 2008-- Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative Hails Senate Passage of Landmark Wastewater Management Legislation

The Massachusetts Senate today approved, by a unanimous vote of 37-0, landmark legislation championed by Senator Robert O'Leary of Barnstable. The bill, S-2491, will provide critical funding assistance to Cape Cod communities to build the wastewater treatment systems needed to improve water quality in estuaries and bays.

S-2491 provides Cape Cod communities with the legal and financial tools needed to arrest and reverse the degradation of its precious coastal waterways. The major remaining unaddressed threat to water quality is excess nutrients. S-2491, by targeting enhanced financial assistance to communities implementing projects intended to reduce nutrient impacts on surface and drinking water, provides an important focus on an ongoing threat. The bill provides a time limited opportunity to access 0% interest funds from the State Revolving Fund and creates an incentive to communities across the Commonwealth to move quickly to address this issue.

Link to legislation here