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It’s official! Brewster’s Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP) will include important sections to address the BPC’s concerns regarding wastewater management. In response, the BPC has indefinitely postponed Citizens Petition article 18 to fund a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP). The vote at Town Meeting on May 5 was overwhelmingly in favor of capital funding article 10. Of special concern to the BPC was item 10.1.a which requested $100K for water resource projects including updates to the IWRMP that will now include sections specifically related to wastewater management. During the comment period, John Keith, Environmental Engineer and BPC Vice President, explained the importance of the wastewater sections now added to the IWRMP and why the BPC Board voted to accept the updated IWRMP in lieu of proceeding with the Citizens Petition to fund a CWMP. Following article 10, the Town Moderator immediately moved on to Article 18, the BPC’s Citizens Petition article to fund a CWMP. As agreed, BPC President Susan Bridges began by making a motion to indefinitely postpone the article. She then went on to thank the 100+ people who signed the petition and acknowledged that with their support, the BPC was able to have its article on the warrant. Susan also thanked Peter Lombardi (Brewster Town Administrator), members of the Water Resources Task Force, and the Select Board for working with the BPC to include important sections of a wastewater management plan into the Town’s IWRMP. She repeated John’s comments about the BPC Board voting unanimously to accept the changes to the IWRMP in lieu of moving ahead with a CWMP and stated that this is a win for everyone. She also underscored the BPC’s commitment to work with the Town on water resource protection projects. The BPC is grateful to its members, friends, and the voters in Brewster for supporting this important effort. Pictured below is Susan Bridges addressing the audience and Town Moderator Charles Sumner at the podium.  The Brewster in Bloom Parade took place on Sunday, May 4, which was a picture-perfect spring afternoon. For the third year in a row, the BPC had a float in the parade that started out at Eddy Elementary School and traveled west on Route 6A to Swamp Road. The float was decorated with large pictures of frogs, butterflies, fish, and other pond creatures and supported the parade theme of “Let’s Take a Hike,” encouraging parade watchers to “leave only footprints” when hiking. Pictured below are BPC members Susan Bridges, John Keith, and Marcia Kielb (dressed as the BPC mascot, Shelly the Turtle). John’s granddaughter, Cora, also joined us.   We encourage all registered voters to attend the Brewster Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 5, at Stony Brook Elementary School (384 Underpass Road). Check-in begins at 5 PM, and the meeting starts at 6 PM.
The BPC stresses the importance of supporting Water Resource Article #10 1.a on the warrant. This article requests funding for the updated Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP), including the new sections related to wastewater management. You can view the updated outline for the IWRMP here. To learn more about the BPC's position on this article, please click here. Despite being postponed one day due to rain, Beautify Brewster was held on Sunday, April 27, with much success. Over 20 BPC volunteers gathered to pick up trash along Slough, Satucket, and Run Hill roads. The volunteers enjoyed a delicious lunch afterwards at the Brewster Baptist Church, hosted by several local restaurants. This annual town-wide event is crucial to keeping plastics and other contaminants out of our waters. Pictured below is a partial group of the BPC Beautify Brewster team, getting ready to hit the roads!   The BPC invites you to enjoy a guided tour of hillside lawn and contour terraces filled with native plants at Terra Firma Permagardens on Saturday, May 17, from 10 AM to 12 PM (155 Monument Road, Orleans). Peter Jensen, a regenerative agroecologist and runoff mitigation specialist at Terra Firma Permagardens (a BPC business partner), will explain how these terraces were designed with the vision of aquifer protection through ecosystem strengthening. He will demonstrate through hands-on actions how to guide destructive runoff to become nourishing walkoff.
This event is free and will take place rain or shine. Registration is required as there is a limit of 30 participants. Participants are encouraged to arrive from 9:40-9:50 AM to enjoy the serenity of the ecosystem that has been developed. Questions after the event are certainly encouraged. All attendees will receive a potted Little Bluestem to take home.  It has been the BPC’s #1 goal to strive for a town-wide wastewater management plan. Towards that end, we filed a citizens petition to include an article on the warrant for the 2025 Annual Town Meeting requesting $300K to fund a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP). Thanks to our concerned voting members and friends, the CWMP petition appears as Article #19 on the warrant. However, the Select Board voted unanimously not to support the CWMP article based on funding concerns and duplication of effort with the Town’s ongoing work to update its Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP).
The good news is that the Town along with support from the Water Resource Task Force came back to the BPC with an offer to incorporate many critical components of the CWMP into its IWRMP along with additional funding to support that work. This action was done with the understanding that if the BPC is satisfied with the proposed additions, we will in turn move to indefinitely postpone the CWMP funding article at the Annual Town Meeting on May 5. After careful review, the BPC Board of Directors did, in fact, vote unanimously to accept the Select Board’s proposal. Please read this detailed summary of the updates so that you will be fully informed before the Annual Town Meeting on May 5. Click here to read the updated outline for the IWRMP. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected]. For more information, please consider attending one of the BPC’s upcoming information sessions to learn about all the articles on the warrant related to water resources. Session 1: Wednesday, April 23 3 to 5 PM Auditorium, Brewster Ladies Library (1822 Main Street) CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Session 2: Saturday, April 26 10 AM to 12 PM Community Room, Brewster Police Department (631 Harwich Road) CLICK HERE TO REGISTER  Pictured above are Susan Bridges (BPC President), Tom Cambareri (Sole Source Consulting), John Keith (BPC Vice President), and Tom Barr (Town of Chatham). The BPC held its annual Pond Summit on Saturday, April 5 at the Brewster Baptist Church. The Summit featured two speakers who delved into the topic of "Chemicals of Emerging Concern." Attendees first heard from Tom Cambareri, Water Resource Specialist and Hydrologist with Sole Source Consulting. He explained the use of these chemicals dating back to the 1950s and how they move through the groundwater into the Cape Cod aquifer. He noted how such chemicals, especially PFAS, threaten our sole source aquifer and create health risks via drinking water and the affected health of our ponds. Tom Barr, Deputy Director of Public Works for the Town of Chatham, provided a real-world example of the PFAS issue in Chatham. In specific, he noted how PFAS were detected in the town's drinking water, what options were considered to remediate the problem, and the resulting actions put in place. If you missed the event, you can view the recorded presentations and download the slides.
The BPC thanks the Brewster Baptist Church and its staff for the use of its facilities and The Leighton Team, a BPC business partner, for sponsoring the event. Saturday, April 12 Flax Pond in Nickerson State Park Join the BPC for its first hike of the year. Members Nancy Ortiz and Kristi Dondlinger will lead a 3.5-mile hike in Nickerson State Park on Saturday, April 12, starting at 10 AM (with a rain date of Sunday, April 13). Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water and a snack. Although the trail is mostly flat, this scenic hike can be challenging in some areas. Along with a few steep inclines, expect some rocky paths and exposed roots. This free event is limited to a maximum of 18 participants. Further details will be sent to registered participants prior to the hike. In case of inclement weather, you will be notified at least one day in advance.  Join the BPC Team - always one of the largest and most fun groups - for the 13th Annual Beautify Brewster Day! Help clean up the roads in Brewster that contribute to pond and groundwater degradation. The event will take place on Saturday, April 26, from 9 AM to 12 PM (rain date is Sunday, April 27). After the clean-up, all volunteers will be treated to a luncheon at the Brewster Baptist Church (1848 Main Street, beginning at 12:30 PM). Click here to register for our team! Additional details will be sent to all registered volunteers. (Pictured below is the 2024 Beautify Brewster BPC group.)  The BPC is hosting two public information sessions in April to explain and answer questions about the articles related to water resource protection included in the town's Spring Warrant. These sessions aim to inform and educate Brewster voters about the need for these articles to pass during the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 5. Representatives from the BPC will explain the purpose of the articles and why we support them, including the BPC-sponsored article to request funding for a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP), and the recently-updated Water Quality Protection District (WQPD) Bylaw and its proposed amendments. We hope you can join us at one of the sessions, which are free and open to all.  Photograph above from a BPC information session held in April 2024.
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