Falmouth Wastewater
Falmouth Outfall Status Report
Presentation to West Falmouth Village Association on
August 15, 2024 by Amy Lowell,
Wastewater Superintendent.
View Presentation (PDF)
Public Forum about Wastewater
and Watershed Management
A public forum was held on March 2, 2023 at the West Falmouth Library about wastewater and watershed management in the Town of Falmouth, including the environmental impact and benefits of the current plan.
View the Powerpoint presentations in PDF format:
Nitrogen Reduction
'Restoration Of West Falmouth Harbor' Event Leaves Residents With Hope, Challenges
By Claudia Geib, The Falmouth Enterprise
"...In the mid-1990s, scientists began seeing nitrogen levels spike in waters around West Falmouth—and with it, increased algae growth, along with sharply declining shellfish health, eelgrass coverage, and water quality. To this day, groundwater sampled around West Falmouth Harbor still has very high nitrogen levels."
Read the full article >
Falmouth Healthy Lawns
What you need to know about Falmouth’s Nitrogen Control Bylaw for Fertilizer:
Falmouth adopted this Bylaw to reduce the nitrogen pollution going into our estuaries. The Bylaw applies to nitrogen used to fertilize grass only. The Bylaw does not apply to fertilizer used on your flower and vegetable garden, greenhouse, houseplants, farm, or orchard. The Bylaw also does not apply to the establishment or repair of turf (after substantial damage) in its first growing season.
Prohibitions:
• Don’t fertilize any part of your lawn between October 16th and April 14th, or directly before or during a heavy rain event. Don’t spread fertilizer on paved surfaces and clean it up if you do.
• Don’t fertilize any lawn located within 100 feet of wetlands - specifically the Resource Areas as defined in Falmouth’s Wetlands Regulations, FWR 10.02 (1)(a - d).
• The Bylaw recommends that if you fertilize lawns not covered by the 100’ prohibition, fertilize sparingly! The Bylaw encourages use of materials such as yard waste, compost or other similar materials that are primarily organic in nature and that are not considered “fertilizer” to improve the physical condition of your soil.
Read more in the Healthy Lawns PDF.
