The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) will hold a daylong conference focusing on cleaning up Island waters this Thursday, May 12, at the West Tisbury Grange Hall. “Martha’s Vineyard Innovative Alternative Conference: Cleaning Up Our Waters” will focus on nitrogen loading in the ponds, and alternatives to sewering.
“We need to lessen the nitrogen in the ponds, and we need to find ways to do it other than just sewering, because sewering is such an expensive option,” MVC water resources planner Sheri Caseau said Wednesday. “We’re looking for more cost-effective options. It will be educational to see what’s out there and what’s available.”
Ms. Caseau said this kind of event is imperative, given the current health of the Island’s ponds.
“The ponds are just in trouble; there’s too much nitrogen, so it causes the restriction of eelgrass beds, and the shellfishing, and everything — our way of life,” she said.
The morning session will include speakers Maggie Theroux of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office of research and development; Mike Giggey, vice president and senior wastewater engineer with the environmental engineering firm Wright Pierce; and George Heufelder, director of the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center.
The afternoon will focus on solutions to Island water problems. “I hope to get a better understanding of our alternatives, and maybe get some groups together that can come up with plans and think outside of the box,” Ms. Caseau said. “There’s some new technologies that are pretty helpful, so we’d like to learn more about those, and maybe we could do some kind of pilot project here on the Island.”
For more information, contact Ms. Caseau at caseau@mvcommission.org.
