MASSTC Awarded SNEP Restoration Capital Mini-Grant to Advance Urine Fertilizer Research
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — On Monday, October 20, local, state, and federal officials gathered at Fort Taber Community Center in New Bedford to announce more than $3.2 million in grants and technical assistance for environmental restoration projects in the region. The event highlighted eight Massachusetts organizations receiving $1.3 million through SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants and 25 organizations receiving $200,000 through the SNEP Restoration Capital Mini-Grants.
Speakers at the event included New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and U.S. Representative Bill Keating, who emphasized the importance of collaborative, science-based approaches to regional water quality challenges.
The Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (MASSTC) was awarded a $10,000 mini-grant through the EPA Southeast New England Program (SNEP) to fund equipment for an innovative project measuring the performance of urine-derived fertilizers. The award is part of more than $345,000 distributed this year to 45 organizations through the 2025 SNEP Restoration Capital Mini-Grant Program, administered by Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
MASSTC’s work focuses on evaluating the potential of urine diversion as a nutrient pollution reduction tool. The new funding supports the purchase of flow gauges and data loggers that will enhance ongoing studies tracking nutrient flows through experimental test cells.
“With growing interest in urine diversion as a nutrient pollution reduction tool, it’s important that we understand the performance of urine-derived fertilizers,” said Bryan Horsley, Project Assistant at MASSTC. “With the financial support of Cotuit Solar LLC, a local solar installer, we’ve been running a urine fertilizer test system at MASSTC for the past couple growing seasons. The EPA SNEP mini-grant allowed us to add precise flow-tracking technology to better monitor how water moves through our test systems.”
The SNEP program, funded by Congress and managed by the EPA, supports efforts to restore clean water, healthy ecosystems, and sustainable communities across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
In addition to the grant awards, the SNEP Network, managed by the New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Southern Maine, announced eight new technical assistance partnerships with Massachusetts communities focused on reducing water pollution and conserving coastal ecosystems.
