Maintaining the health of both Nantucket and Madaket harbors continues to be a primary goal for the Town of Nantucket. Reducing nitrogen from septic effluent, fertilizer application and storm water runoff are some of the methods being used to achieve this. One of more major projects in the past year extended Town sewer to areas of Monomoy, Shimmo and Polpis. Although the extension of Town sewer to Madaket was approved at Town Meeting some years ago, it failed to secure the necessary votes to fund the project. As a result, existing septic systems in Madaket that do not comply need to be upgraded.
In April of 2020 the Nantucket Board of Health amended Regulation 51.00 which affects properties located in the Madaket Harbor Watershed Protection District, Zones A and B, whose septic systems are in technical failure, to repair their system within 12 months. This includes properties located in Fisher’s Landing. The deadline for compliance is November 15, 2021. The regulations specifically require the installation of a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Innovative/Alternative septic system with nitrogen reduction of at least 19 mg/l. Owners will have to have the system designed, permitted, and installed which takes some time and will be costly. Do not put off compliance – there are stiff daily fines for non-compliance. For more information, please contact the Nantucket Health Department at 508.228.7200 ext. 7014.
Map Madaket Harbor Watershed Protection Districts
TOWN OF NANTUCKET BOARD OF HEALTH REGULATIONS AFFECTING MADAKET