APPPENDIX P: GROUNDWATER MGT APPROACHES IN BARNSTABLE AND EASTHAM 

 Cape Cod Aquifer Management Project Page P-3 



vulnerable areas. This should be undertaken in conjunction with an analy- 

 sis of community-water needs. Especially important is the delineation of 

 existing and future public well sites and their associated wellhead protec- 

 tion areas. Water-supply planning should also be performed to consider 

 community water demand over time and the alternatives available to meet 

 this demand. A build out analysis as described below could be helpful in 

 this regard. 



From what does it need to be protected ? Answering this second ques- 

 tion requires an assessment of existing and future land-use activities 

 which present potential threats to groundwater in the town. While this is 

 a straightforward exercise, it is often overlooked. It is a critical link 

 in an effective planning process; a process which is not but should be 

 required under Massachusetts statutory law. The inventory step described 

 in question 2 of Table 1 is envisioned to be similar as the one performed 

 in the Barnstable's ZOC #1 (see Chapter 6). It will identify all existing 

 sources of potential pollution. In the build-out analysis step described 

 in question 2, the number and type of future activities which would exist 

 if the town experienced full development under present zoning regulations 

 are mapped. This step requires some technical guidance and understanding 

 of the land-use activities in the area and contaminants generated by these 

 activities. CCAMP's "Guide to Contamination Sources for Wellhead 

 Protection" (available separately from NTIS and described in Chapter 2) 

 can provide this guidance. 



How to Protect ? When the assessment is complete and results are 

 analyzed, attention must be placed on how to protect the resource. There 

 are numerous alternatives to consider when designing a local protection 

 strategy, including regulatory and nonregulatory measures. With the zones 

 of contribution delineated, a local community should utilize any of these 

 measures to protect specific sensitive areas. Regulatory techniques may 

 include: land-use controls such as zoning and subdivision regulations 

 generally implemented by planning or zoning boards; health regulations 

 such as the local bylaw in Barnstable implemented by the board of health; 

 and police powers such as permitting, standard setting and inspection 

 requirements. Nonregulatory techniques may include: buying sensitive 

 lands as is done in the Massachusetts Aquifer Land Acquisition Program, 

 easement restrictions and public education. An assessment should be made 

 of the relative merits of any one of these measures within a community 

 before a particular approach is embraced. 



Specific strategies chosen depend in part on the particular strengths 

 of a town government ( i.e . the relative power and influence of the plan- 

 ning board, board of health and conservation commission) , the existence of 

 a professional staff, the ability to increase staff work load, and the 

 political ramifications of various protective measures. These factors 

 would lead Eastham and Barnstable to select different protection strate- 

 gies. While Barnstable has the staff to implement extensive health regula- 

 tions, Eastham currently does not have the ability to implement similar 

 measures. Additionally, while Barnstable should examine the 



