Integrated Water Resource Management Planning & Implementation

Since the 1980s, Brewster has actively focused on protecting and restoring the Town’s water resources. This includes making significant investments to protect undeveloped land and implementing local land use strategies to mitigate pollution of groundwater and surface waters associated with residential and commercial development.

In 2009, the Town of Brewster developed an Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP) to identify the issues associated with the Town’s water systems and propose strategies to protect and restore water quality. This planning process led to a series of recommendations related to groundwater, freshwater ponds, stormwater management and coastal estuaries, with a focus on Pleasant Bay. Over the last 10+ years, significant work has been done to advance these recommendations. An important component has been the creation of the Pleasant Bay Targeted Watershed Management Plan by Brewster, Chatham, Harwich, and Orleans that establishes a plan to restore Pleasant Bay over the next 15-20 years.  This was used to develop the Pleasant Bay Watershed Permit, the first such watershed permit issued in Massachusetts.

In addition, the Town continues to monitor, evaluate, and manage water quality of the many freshwater ponds in Brewster. The Town is coordinating with the Brewster Ponds Coalition on how best to manage septic systems and other sources of nutrient that affect these ponds.  The Town and Ponds Coalition co-hosted an annual pond summit in 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, the Town Manager convened a Water Resource Task Force comprised of key stakeholders including the Select Board Chair, Board of Health Chair, Natural Resources Advisory Commission Chair, Brewster Ponds Coalition President, Health Director, Town Planner, Water Superintendent, and Natural Resources Director to continue to coordinate and advance of water quality planning and implementation.  The task force meets on a monthly basis and provides regular updates to the Select Board and other relevant Town committees. 

The task force closely monitored the changes to state Title 5 and watershed regulations, which took effect on July 7, 2023.  In Fall 2023, the Town committed to creating a new Watershed Permit for Herring River and is seeking Watershed Permit Exemptions for Swan Pond and Bass River.  Accordingly, Brewster residents are not required to upgrade their septic systems to Innovative/Alternative technologies under the new state regulations.  The Town may update the IWRMP to account for these new regulations and their impacts on our long-term planning efforts. 

The Cape Cod & Islands Water Protection Fund (CCIWPF) was established by MA legislature in 2018 (Chapter 337 of the Acts of 2018) to help 15 Cape & Island towns pay for wastewater infrastructure and water quality remediation projects to meet the obligations of the region's 208 Plan.  It is funded through a new 2.75% additional surcharge added to all lodging transactions (both traditional and short-term rentals) on Cape effective July 1, 2019. The CCIWPF Board is comprised of member representatives from each town.  The Town Manager serves as Brewster's representative on the CCIWPF Board and is a member of the Executive Committee.  The CCIWPF currently provides a 25% subsidy to eligible water quality improvement projects.  Brewster Town Meeting approved the creation of a Water Quality Stabilization Fund in May 2022.  The Select Board has adopted a policy that 15% of all locally-generated short-term rental revenues are directed to this fund.  

The documents linked below provide current and historical information about the Town's water quality planning activities:

Information for Brewster Residents about New State Septic and Watershed Regulations

• FAQ

Watershed Filings

• Bass River De Minimis Nitrogen Load Exemption Application
• Brewster Herring River Watershed Permit NOI

• Swan Pond River De Minimis Nitrogen Load Exemption Application

IWRMP 2022 Update

• IWRMP 2022 Update
• January 27, 2022 Presentation to Joint Select Board and Board of Health Meeting

IWRMP Phase III Products

• Pleasant Bay Nitrogen Management Alternatives Analysis Report
• Mill Ponds Management Plan
• Schoolhouse Pond Rapid Watershed Assessment
• Herring River Nitrogen Management Assessment - Technical Memorandum

WRMP Final Report, Phase II, 2013

• Integrated Water Resources Management Plan, Phase II - Executive Summary
• Integrated Water Resources Management Plan, Phase II

Brewster IWRMP Phase I, 2011

• Brewster IWRMP Phase I - Needs Assessment Final Report 2011

Town of Brewster

• Mill Ponds Complex Project
• Brewster Pond Summit Presentation, 2023

Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP)

• Peer Review of Massachusetts Estuary Project Watershed Model
• Pleasant Bay Massachusetts Estuary Project Watershed Model
• Pleasant Bay Total Maximum Daily Load
• Little Namskaket Massachusetts Estuary Project Watershed Model
• Namskaket Massachusetts Estuary Project Watershed Model

United States Geological Survey (USGS)

• Effects on Pumping on Surface and Groundwater in Sagamore and Monomoy Flow Lenses
• Hydrologic Budgets of Kettle-Hole Ponds in Coastal Aquifers of Southern Massachusetts

Other Reports & Resources

• Orleans Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan and Environmental Impact Report 
• Practice Guide to Lake Management in Massachusetts 
• Septic Systems Title 5 Regulation
• Watershed Permit Regulations
• Cape Cod Freshwater Initiative
• Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund

Brewster Water Resources Atlas

• Water Resources Atlas