Falmouth Urine Diversion Project

MASSTC has been working with the Town of Falmouth for more than three years to develop a urine diversion project. This project will evaluate the feasibility of using urine diversion (or UD) eco-toilet systems to reduce nutrient pollution and help the Town meet regulatory water quality targets. Urine contributes the majority of nutrients in residential wastewater that causes pollution in lakes, ponds, bays and estuaries. By using urine diversion systems, nutrient pollution can be controlled at the source. 

This map to the left shows the four watersheds within the Town of Falmouth (Waquoit Bay, Green Pond, Bournes Pond, and Great Pond) that are targeted for installation of UD eco-toilets as part of the MassDEP 319 grant funded project. We intend to install and monitor performance of 25 sites using urine diverting toilet systems and to report the resulting data to MassDEP.

10/14/26 Update:

Thank you so much for continuing to support and participate in this project. We realize it’s been a long time coming and understand people are getting tired of waiting and we deeply appreciate your patience as we continue working to overcome regulatory challenges.

Last week, we received a draft Provisional Use Permit from the MassDEP, and we are working to finalize it very soon. This permit provides approval for MASSTC to install, operate, and monitor UD systems. MassDEP recognizes how valuable this project is to nutrient management on the Cape, and we have been working together on the final permit details for the past several months. Although we are receiving this permit later than expected, we are excited it is so close at hand! 

We are also facing unexpected challenges at the plumbing board, in part due to leadership change within the executive staff. Without plumbing board approval for UD toilet and urinal fixtures, we cannot install systems, despite the MassDEP approval. We are continuing to work with the plumbing board’s executive staff to navigate an approval pathway. Various local groups, including the Falmouth Selectboard, have been communicating with plumbing board staff and state agencies that oversee the board to advocate for our project and to facilitate their regulatory support. 

Despite these challenges, we remain motivated and optimistic that this project will be a success!

Next steps: If we have had the pleasure of visiting your house and talking about options, the permit complications have delayed our estimates and reports to you. We expect to complete the reports within the next couple of weeks. Those of you waiting for assessments – now that we have more clarity from regulators, we can resume scheduling remote and in-person assessments. 

Look out for more emails from us in the coming weeks and reply to this email with any questions you have. 

Thank you for your participation and patience!

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If you are signed up to participate in the project, please visit the Participant Information & Resources page to access important information and documents.