Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund Management Board set to make 2022 awards 

More than $108 million in wastewater and water quality projects for Cape Cod are slated for funding in 2022. Eight projects in four Cape Cod towns appear on the state’s Intended Use Plan (IUP), a document that includes construction projects that will be financed through the Massachusetts State Revolving Fund (SRF) in the coming year.   

Projects listed on the IUP are eligible for subsidies through the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund (CCIWPF). The CCIWPF Management Board meets on June 2 to consider subsidy awards. In 2021, the Board awarded more than $71 million for projects financed since the creation of the CCIWPF, and certain pre-existing wastewater debt.   

The Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund is a dedicated fund within the state’s Clean Water Trust. It was established in 2018 to help Cape Cod and Islands towns pay for necessary wastewater infrastructure and water quality remediation projects. Its funding comes from a 2.75% excise tax on traditional lodging and short-term rentals.   

The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust is a state agency that helps communities build or replace water infrastructure by providing low-interest loans and grants to municipalities and other entities through the Massachusetts SRF. SRFs function like an environmental infrastructure bank by financing water infrastructure projects. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) manages project development and oversight while the Trust manages the flow of funds to borrowers. The SRF programs are partnerships between the US EPA and the Commonwealth.  

Projects eligible for funding through the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund include innovative strategies and alternative septic system technologies, water quality and wastewater management planning, construction of sewer collection systems and wastewater treatment plants, and implementation of drainage improvements and water treatment programs to improve water quality in freshwater ponds and marine resources. To be eligible for a CCIWPF subsidy, projects must be listed on the IUP. 

The Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund Management Board votes annually to award subsidies to qualified and eligible water quality projects. Projects in excess of $1 million will receive subsidies equal to 25% of the project costs. Projects of $1 million or less will receive 50% subsidies. The Board will meet on June 2, 2022 to vote on the current slate of projects.