Thanks for asking - Sewer Hookups

Mashpee home owners have reached out with questions about hooking up to the sewer lines. Home owners have asked about the cost and available funding. I have reached out to town and county officials and have searched news sources to find out as much as possible. Based on what I’ve learned, here is where we are so far. Costs to hookup are variable depending on many factors, including but not limited to, the distance of the home from the street as well as landscaping and structures in the path of the hookup. No and low-interest loans are available to qualifying home owners and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers a state income tax credit to qualifying home owners.

In this posting I have put together as much as I could find about costs, loans, and credits. I’ve included links to sources so homeowners can readily access these.

Costs

From the Mashpee Town Webpage (https://www.mashpeema.gov/home/news/cost-connect/)

(April, 2021) “Cost to connect: This varies primarily based on how far a home is from the street but typically connections on smaller lots will cost less. In Falmouth, where properties resemble those required to connect in Mashpee, the average cost was $4,000 to $6,000, which included septic system abandonment costs. The actual cost could be higher or lower based on a variety of factors. For example, in Chatham, where lots are typically larger and houses set back farther from the street, the median cost was $8,438 and the range between $2,880 and $23,828.”

Loans

On 3/1/23, The Cape Cod Aquifund announced low-interest betterment loans for Cape Cod homeowners who must replace their septic systems. The Aquifund provides loans for septic system replacement, installation of advanced onsite wastewater treatment units, and sewer connections to full-time residents living in nitrogen sensitive watersheds. Areas to be sewered in Mashpee are in nitrogen sensitive watershed. For more information, please see the Barnstable County webpage: (https://www.capecod.gov/departments/health-environment/programs-services/water-and-wastewater/community-septic-management-loan-program-csmlp/)

We will need to request that these loans are made available to our condominium owners.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the Water Pollution Abatement Trust, has provided approximately $660 thousand dollars to the Town of Mashpee in order to provide 5% loans. To receive these funds the town must re-approve/reauthorize participation in the Community Septic Management Plan at the May 2023 Town Meeting.

State Income Tax Rebates

Currently the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers a state tax credit to qualifying homeowners that will offset up to $6,000 of the connection cost. The tax credit is 40% of the costs up to $15,000 with total credit not exceeding $6,000. (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/view-residential-property-tax-credits)

According to the Cape Cod Times, Governor Healey proposed to increase this tax credit to up to $12,000.

I will post more as I learn more.