We who are working to develop plans for solutions to the challenges of wastewater management and nutrient loading in our ponds owe many thanks to Alex Elvin and the Gazette for their series of articles on our coastal ponds. They are providing a valuable service to the community. Through various studies, we have come to appreciate the nature of the problem and the options currently available. As Mr. Elvin correctly points out, there is no magic bullet or inexpensive fix. There will need to be an array of solutions implemented over a period of time, with continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of each step. After much study and discussion, we are ready to begin to take action.

The towns of Oak Bluffs and Tisbury formed a joint committee to develop strategies for the shared Lagoon Pond watershed. All strategies, sewering and non-sewering, have been studied and will be subjected to cost/benefit analysis. Both towns have centralized wastewater treatment plants that would have to be expanded in order to meet the added demand of any additional sewering. Alternatives are being studied. There are pilot programs taking place under the direction of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish group on the viability of oyster reefs and of constructed wetlands. Whether these will become part of the solution is uncertain until the research is completed. Meanwhile, the towns are going forward with a feasibility study of using permeable reactive barriers to capture and eliminate nitrogen in groundwater before it can impact the Lagoon.

Since we know we must remove 34.6 per cent of existing nitrogen in the Lagoon and 100 per cent of any new nitrogen, we have examined current regulations and found that they need to be more rigorous if we want to slow down the growth of the problem. We hope that the public will be actively involved in the discussion of these important issues. Each of us, naturally, is part of the problem and all of us need to be part of the solution.

We hope readers will continue to follow Mr. Elvin’s and the Gazette’s reporting and prepare for discussions at our future public meetings and hearings.

Gail Barmakian
Oak Bluffs

Melinda Loberg
Vineyard Haven

The writers are co-chairmen of the Lagoon Pond joint watershed planning committee.