System Shift Series: Cleaning Up Hen Cove with a Klean-Tu
System Shift is a new story series focusing on Cape and Islands homeowners who have I/A systems and/or are practicing alternative ways of dealing with human waste. The series also puts a spotlight on pioneers in the world of advanced treatment. What’s it like to have an I/A system? How does it help the local mission to be better land and water stewards? We’ll tackle these questions and more in hopes of helping “shift” the way we see all the moving pieces of Cape Cod’s wastewater puzzle.
By Amy DuFault, MASSTC Communications
Founded in 2019, the Pocasset Water Quality Coalition‘s (PWQC) mission is to restore the water quality of Hen Cove, Barlow’s Landing harbor, and the inlet of Wings Neck to healthy environmental levels.
The site reads “We are working toward the day when we have clean, pure saltwater for our families and community to enjoy, as well as healthy natural marshes and wetlands for our birds and marine wildlife.”
President of the PWQC Keith Barber, lives in the Hen Cove, Pocasset Harbor area with his wife Jan, and is the owner of an Innovative/Alternative (I/A) or a Nitrogen Removing (NR) system.
Keith tells us he and his wife have lived in Pocasset since 2004. Their current home was built in 1978, still with the original septic system. Keith says the system was still passing but they have a salt marsh in the back yard, and septic in the front yard but “our salt water is severely damaged by nitrogen plus other things.”
“I talked my wife into replacing our septic with a Nitro KleanTu® system. We found this to be the best available technology. We applied to the AquiFund and were approved. Unfortunately our water has not been formally declared a nitrogen sensitive area (NSA). It is only a formality, we know how damaged the water is. Because of that we could only qualify for 4%, not 2%,” says Keith, adding that Program Manager Alice Ryan and Loan Specialist Pilar Reed managed their installation “so seamlessly.”
Learn more about the AquiFund loan program here.
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