MASSTC in the news? We’re doing our best to make positive ripple effects wherever we go! Learn more about what we do below.

CapeCod.com’s Sunday Journal – Barnstable County Highlights Water for April

County Senior Environmental Specialist Brian Baumgaertel joins Sunday Journal this week to discuss programs including the low-interest loan program “Aquifund” that can help replace aging systems, testing services, and combatting PFAS.

Boston Globe: As pollution worsens on Cape Cod, some are investing hopes in a new type of septic system

“We’re not looking to unnecessarily divert funding from sewering projects,” said Brian Baumgaertel, director of the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center, a division of Barnstable County. “We are looking for the most economical and socially equitable solution to help fix what is a slow-moving environmental disaster.”

New York Times: A Toxic Stew on Cape Cod: Human Waste and Warming Water

“Septic systems work well where homes are too sparse to justify expensive sewers and water treatment plants. About 95 percent of the Cape’s properties use them. But they don’t filter out nitrogen or phosphorus, which seeps into the groundwater and, eventually, bodies of water. Enter Mr. Baumgaertel’s outdoor laboratory of sewage management.

Want to help us keep MASSTC in the News? Schedule an interview! Contact Brian Baumgaertel by email at bbaumgaertel@capecod.gov or by phone at 774-330-3019.