The Tisbury board of health last week approved changes to town wastewater regulations, widening the scope of conditions under which property owners must install advanced denitrification septic systems.
The new rules, which go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, apply only to properties in the Lagoon Pond and Lake Tashmoo watersheds, Tisbury health agent Maura Valley said at a public hearing Sept. 26.
As a tectonic shift in state wastewater regulations is under consideration by state officials, Island homeowners and towns are bracing for what could be millions of dollars in mandatory upgrades in the coming years.
On a boulder-peppered hill in Chilmark, a septic system is near completion. Tons of dense clay have been excavated and in its place a mess of tubes and concrete boxes now sit. Only one step is left: the septic must contend with Coop.
