Guidance Document and Case Study Report for Great Sand Lakes (in Harwich MA) Evaluation for Wastewater Management for Freshwater Ponds

Stearns &Wheler-GHD Inc. and EcoLogic LLC,

June 2007

This report has been made possible by a grant from Barnstable County to the Town of Harwich (Town) to evaluate wastewater management options for the Great Sand Lakes and their watersheds as well as the watersheds to several Town water-supply wells down-gradient of the lakes.   The three main goals of the evaluation are to investigate and determine:

1.    The role the lakes play in reducing nitrogen loadings to the Town water-supply wells.

2.    The water quality and habitat conditions of the Great Sand Lakes as affected by phosphorus loadings from their watersheds.

3.    Recommend future actions to monitor and preserve/improve the overall quality of the Great Sand Lakes.

The report has been prepared in the form of a Guidance Document and Case Study Report so that other towns on Cape Cod (and elsewhere) can use it as a guide for their wastewater and watershed management evaluations.

Download the  full report (18 MB pdf file that may require a minute or 2 to download).

Please contact Nate Weeks at Stearns & Wheler-GHD Inc. (508-362-5680 ext 11, or nathan.weeks@ghd.com) if you have questions or comments.

Key Words:  Great Sand Lakes; Harwich; ponds; groundwater; water quality; eutrophication; phosphorus; nitrogen.