View of the water from the Sea Camps property. Credit: Town of Brewster
HYANNIS – Barnstable County officials are celebrating the launch for their re-worked Aquifund septic loan program.
County Wastewater Division Director Brian Baumgaertel said the revamp will allow them to provide zero interest loans to those who qualify as the region continues to face water quality issues.
“Folks who live in areas where towns are working to address nitrogen or phosphorus pollution and it’s really targeted at single-family homes, year-round residences, primary homes, that sort of group,” said Baumgaertel.
“We’re targeting the lowest interest loans to the people in the lower-income brackets or middle-to lower-income brackets and also those who are primary homeowners here on Cape Cod to help address our nitrogen and phosphorus problems.”
Since the program began in 2007, the program has provided about $55 million in loans to over 4,000 individual homeowners.
A recent report by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod said that failing and out-of-date septic systems are the leading cause of water degradation on Cape Cod.
During ‘National County Government Month’ in April, the county will highlight different programs working to protect the Cape’s water resources, including tech for fighting PFAS contamination and failing wastewater infrastructure.
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