Cape Cod Wastewater Study

Cape Cod’s sole source aquifer is polluted with excessive levels of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus. Offshoots worked with the Cape Cod Commission to strategize ways to use green infrastructure and phytoremediation strategies to address the problem on single family home sites, removing pollutants before they enter the groundwater. 80% of the nutrient load in the Cape’s sole source aquifer comes from household wastewater, as residential septic systems allow nutrients to migrate to the groundwater. Offshoots worked with the Cape Cod Commission and their other consultants to research and design a variety of alternative green infrastructure systems to remove pollutants. These potential green infrastructure systems include urine diversion toilets, composting toilets, vertical wetlands, site-scaled phytoremediation buffers, and packaging toilets.