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Water testing has always been at the forefront of TWI’s mission to safeguard our waters. Test results have pointed the way to all of TWI’s projects in wastewater and stormwater management.

Over the last 20 years, TWI has kept records of water sampling at 8 locations around our three bodies of water to determine the need for the installation of fi rst fl ush basins and vegetative bioswales to fi lter stormwater runoff. We are constantly evaluating potential trouble spots and adding new stormwater collection sites. Now water testing will become even more effi cient. To facilitate TWI’s repeated testing of storm water run-off, we are partnering with The Tisbury Department of Public Works, helping them to establish a water testing laboratory that will test for pollution from Total Coliform, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus bacteria.

These three bacterial tests are the most appropriate measures of the health risks due to bacterial contamination of the water. There are two ways that this laboratory will improve our testing program; we will be able to sample the water on any day of the week and get the results of the water tests the day the tests are completed. The latter is especially important to identify problems and facilitate remediation actions.

The laboratory is being certifi ed by the state to test for bacterial contamination in both fresh and salt water. This certifi cation ensures that the most appropriate testing procedures are

used and that the test results will be valid in court (in the unlikely event that that is necessary). Collecting samples this summer and helping to perform the testing is 24-year-old Maia Smith.

Back Online: Better Than Ever!The fruits of our technical labors have paid off. Over the winter, we worked diligently with the good folks at MVOL to completely revamp our website (right) which is now ready for prime time viewing. As with any website, we’ll be constantly evolving and updating. We value your feedback. Go to the “Contact Us” link and tell us what you think, especially what you’d like to see, but don’t.

Also, if you come across any item relating to keeping our waters healthy you feel would be of interest to site viewers, let us know so we can include it. We also invite you to share any photos that may enhance our site. www.tisburywaterways.org is the place to go to get the latest news on our current projects, tips on how to keep our waters healthy — beginning in your own back yard. You can view our newsletter or make a contribution online. We look forward to hearing from you.

Testing the Waters: The Next Chapter, a New Lab

Maia Smith will test the waters.

N E W S L E T T E RSummer 2009

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While here on the Vineyard, the culprits mentioned in the PBS

quote above don’t apply, we are still plagued by the damaging effects of stormwater run-off which TWI’s water testing results can testify to.

Remember, stormwater run-off from a single home can head pollutants right into, in our case, the harbor, Lake Tashmoo or the Lagoon. So, what can we each do in our own back, or front, yard to help stem this injurious tide? Plenty. Take a look at this photo and the potential polluting trouble spots we’ve captioned, along with their solutions. Also, remember the following and pass the word to friends, neighbors and town offi cials.

• Champion low impact development which stems residential runoff and promote building homes in areas with natural drainage.

• Encourage the use of narrower sidewalks and paved areas which reduce water resistant surfaces.

• Use grassy channels on your property to slow runoff, trap sediment and fi lter stormwater. Likewise, create rain garden depressions which channel and fi lter stormwater.

• Instead of fencing yourself in, preserve natural vegetation as

“With polluted runoff still fl owing in from industry, agriculture and massive suburban development, scientists note that many new pollutants and toxins from modern everyday life are already being found in the drinking water of millions of people across the country and pose a threat to fi sh, wildlife and, potentially, human health.” — From PBS Frontline’s Poisoned Waters, April, 2009

Household Pollutants & Solutions

property borders: it improves evaporation and the transportation rate of water.

• Pick up after your pets — animal waste pollutes.

• Opt for a porous pavement for your driveway, like the one shown here, which reduces water-runoff.

• Adopt prudent lawn care. Use earth-friendly products. Check out ECO MV on Beach Rd. in Tisbury which carries an extensive line of not only non-toxic cleaning products but a full line of TerraCycle products which include plant and fl ower foods and lawn fertilizers. And here’s an eye-popping statistic: overwatering or watering at the wrong time (Watering in the early morning is best.) can waste more than 25,000 gallons of water per year, according to the EPA. Water deeply and infrequently: 1 inch per week is the rule of thumb.

Potential Pollutants

Earth Day HaulThis year’s Earth Day Beach Clean-up brought out over 300 people who removed over 300 bags of trash from Vineyard beaches on a sunny April day. And as usual, TWI’s Adopt-A-Beachers, including Girl Scout troops — from Cadets to Brownies — were out in force, working along the coast of the inner harbor, from the northwest jetty all the way around to Pier 44. Lake Street and Owen Little Way were also picked clean. We are hoping to coordinate these activities with the Tisbury School YMCA programs. Pictured here, members of Girl Scout Troop 802 who worked feverishly at Owen Park. We thank them for all their hard work!

Leaking grease or oil from vehicles, deter-gent, from washing cars — install porous driveway surface, use non-toxic soap

Sediment coming off roofs, garages and paved areas — use mulch and plant local shrubs

Overfl owing garbage and trash cans — keep a tight lid on them

Pesticides used on plants and lawns — use organic, non-toxic products

Excess water from pipes or over-watering of lawns — soil enriched with sand and organic materials help fi lter stormwater

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Sands of TimeAfter TWI-funded sand analysis proved the compatibility of sand from the inner harbor with that of Owen Little Way and Grove Avenue, the Tisbury Conservation Commis-sion okayed the deposit of sand on these two beach access areas. Appro-priate planting and additional storm water mitigation will make these beaches a great deal more “user friendly.”

Owen Little Way ConcernsIn June, the Tisbury Planning Board met with interested residents, many of whom were Vineyard Haven Yacht Club members, to discuss their concerns about safety and accessibility of Owen Little Way and its public beachfront property. Tisbury Select-men are working with the Planning Board on the issues that include crossing Main Street to get to Owen Little Way, fi nding places to park, swimming safely and hav-ing enough uninterrupted beach area to enjoy the sand and sea.

Flower PowerThe Town has recently installed a water spigot next to the information booth near the Steamship Authority building. Especially pleased with an access for irrigating plants are Jynell Kristal, Liza Coogan, Jennifer Oliver, Caron Soond and Claire Joannidi, the most able-bodied committee charged by the Town with sprucing up Tisbury. They are aided in their efforts by embarkation fees from the Steamship Authority which will go to supporting a landscaper to plant and care for strategic planters not only around the terminal area, but further afi eld in other highly visible areas around Tisbury. We applaud all their hard work and that of the DPW which is lending a hand, as well.

Dredging Gets theNod from Tisbury VotersOne of the most effective ways to keep our estuaries healthy while working on a better answer to wastewater management, is to perform maintenance dredging to improve tidal circulation. At the urging of TWI, the Tashmoo Management Committee, the Harbor Management Committee and the Tisbury Dredge Committee, a warrant article was introduced and approved by the voters at the Spring Town meeting. Eighty thousand dollars was set aside for dredging projects at the mouth of Tashmoo and for the North groin area in Vineyard Haven Harbor. The project at Tashmoo has completed permitting and should begin and end prior to July 4th – just in time for the boating season. This will dramatically improve safety in the channel and the rate at which fl ushing occurs in the lake.

The maintenance dredging for the inner harbor of Vineyard Haven is planned for spring 2010. Readers may recall that this dredging project inspired the initial organization and raison d’etre for TWI.

Oceans Act ReduxAs our newsletter goes to press, the much-anticipated draft plan for the Oceans Act will be released for public comment and legislative review. The Ocean Act directs the EEA Offi ce of Energy and Environmental Affairs) to develop “an integrated ocean manage-ment plan” to be enacted by December 31, 2009. Following a period of two years of scientifi c study, development of tools, and coordination with various stakeholder groups, the draft manage-ment plan lays out the State’s plan for identifying locations for various activi-ties, uses and facilities in ocean waters held in the public trust.

In short, the plan amends the Ocean Sanctuaries Act to allow for renew-able energy facilities within the shore zone, possibly having the ability to by-pass the local planning and approval process. It is important to examine the proposed legislation and participate in upcoming public comment opportuni-ties in order to safeguard our local abil-ity to determine the use of waters in our local shore zone. You can learn more about the Ocean Plan on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s web site (www.mvcommission.org) or by searching for “Ocean Plan.”

A Test CaseGeorge Heufelder, Director, Barnstable County Health and Environmental Department was the featured guest at the June meeting of the MV Wa-ter Alliance. As overseer of the work of the Massachusetts On-site Alternative Treatment Test Center, Mr. Heufelder brings extraordinary expertise to the fi eld of on-site waste-water management. The Test Center was created in 1999 as a clearinghouse for devel-oping technologies in on-site wastewater. Protocols that would defi nitively determine whether a technology was working effectively were de-veloped. Alternative systems

designed for any one of a variety of different uses and settings beyond those of the standard septic system are tested rigorously over a period of sixty months. De-nitrifying systems must achieve at least a 50% reduction in Nitrogen. Systems are also stress tested over a 24 hour period of no fl ow. Some systems are also fi eld tested with results re-corded on-line through the Carmody Reporting System. Any idea for a system will be considered for testing as long as it has some theoretical underpinnings. One peer-re-viewed paper is required prior to admittance to the Center. Thirty technologies have been tested in the last four years.

Energy requirements are also monitored and recorded. Once a technology has jumped through the hoops at Otis, it is ready for fi eld testing. At the moment, they must be installed at 50 different sites and closely monitored. This process insures that a large enough sample be studied to insure 90% consistency. The strict requirements for testing and monitoring alter-native septic systems have discouraged some applicants from entering the process in Massachusetts, but the State’s DEP will accept approved sys-tems from other states. Still, only a handful of alternative systems are approved and in regular use in Massachusetts.

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Visit our Website:www.tisburywaterways.org

Tisbury Waterways, Inc.P.O. Box 4375Vineyard Haven, MA 02568www.tisburywaterways.org

MISSION STATEMENTTisbury Waterways Incorporated (TWI) is a citizens’ non-profi t organization whose mission is to provide a commu-nity presence in matters involving the quality and improvement of waterways in the Town of Tisbury. TWI acts as an advocate and catalyst to enlist the active participation of the public in support of municipal, educational and research programs designed to improve local marine water quality.

Board of Directors

Melinda Loberg, President

Harriet Barrow, Vice-President

Bruce Stelle, Treasurer

Jean Lewellyn, Secretary

Barbara Stelle, Clerk

Pamela Street,

Newsletter Editor

Carole Abrahams

Nat Benjamin

Barbara Child

Robert Culbert

Rob Doyle

Elizabeth Feldman

Raymond Lincoln

Rachel Orr

Lorraine Wells

M. Jo Wood

Denys Wortman

Richard Sherman, ex-offi cio

Support TWI and Win a KayakTWI Gives Science Fair AwardsEvery February, we are continually awed by the talent on display at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Science Fair. TWI president Melinda Loberg was on hand to acknowledge the top three winners with our Dr. James Porter Award. TWI funds this award to honor Dr. Porter, a past TWI president whose catch basin design to fi lter and remove pollutants in road run-off has greatly contributed to the health of our waters. First place went to Taylor Chisholm for Determining Levels of Lead Concentration in Tea from Different Countries. Benny Syslo came in second for his project, Determining Lead Exposure to Hands. Tessa Permar took third place for her project titled Coffee, Curry and Cranberry Colors. Bravo to all!

Back by popular demand is our kayak raffl e! This year, we’re going the one-passenger route with the versatile pedal-or-paddle Hobie Mirage Sport. It’s got it all, from handy stowage pockets to a must for fi shermen, a convenient rod holder. Tickets are $10 or 3 for $25. You can nab any board member to purchase a ticket or fi nd us at the following venues this summer:

• Tisbury Street Fair - July 8th 6-9 PM

• Sail MV Vineyard Cup Weekend at Owen Park- July 17 -19

• MV Agricultural Fair - Aug. 20 -23. Drawing will be the last day of the Fair.

And remember taking a chance equals a sure thing, supporting TWI’s current causes:

• Keeping the new water testing lab well afl oat

• Identifying extra water testing sites

• Stormwater projects

All in, this smooth operator would fetch around $1800...and that buys a lot of tickets! Any questions, call Harriet at 508-693-4909.

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