Ponds in Peril, a forum to follow last summer’s successful event sponsored by the Vineyard Conservation Society, will be held on Wednesday, July 21 starting at 7 p.m. at the Sailing Camp in Oak Bluffs. The featured speaker will be Michael D. Giggey, a principal at Wright-Pierce Engineering. Mike will address water quality and wastewater management and infrastructure issues associated with growth and development on the Vineyard, presenting case studies of Sengekontacket Pond, Lagoon Pond and Lake Tashmoo.

The forum will focus on the responsibilities of boards of health and planning boards in protecting our ponds, the major role that wastewater treatment plants can play in reducing nitrogen, the surprisingly effective way that shellfish aquaculture naturally removes nitrogen, and the key role of land conservation.

The Ponds in Peril events are part of a multi-year Vineyard Conservation Society educational effort aimed at heightening public awareness of the threats to our surface and ground waters, and the range of possible solutions. Cosponsors include Island towns, and participants include leaders, citizens and representatives of homeowner associations.