Nantucket Stormwater Sampling Program
GHYCF partnered to fund Nantucket Land & Water Council’s Nantucket Stormwater Sampling Program.
Nantucket Harbor is classified as an impaired water body due to historic trends in water chemistry and, more specifically, excessive nutrient pollution. The Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP) final report released in November 2006 reported critical nitrogen loading thresholds and determined Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Nantucket Harbor. This study revealed that very little data exists on nitrogen pollution, or other potential contaminants, from stormwater entering Nantucket Harbor. The Town of Nantucket has been conducting regular monitoring of nitrogen levels in Nantucket Harbor since the establishment of the TMDLs and while levels have been improving in some areas the Harbor as a whole remains impaired.
The downtown area of Nantucket is serviced by stormwater infrastructure that is divided into more than ten (10) catchment areas. During storm events, runoff from precipitation in the downtown area flows through storm drains into this infrastructure and with little to no treatment enters directly into Nantucket Harbor. The area contributing to this stormwater incorporates all of Brant Point and Lily Pond Park, upper Main Street across the downtown area, and parts of Sparks Avenue and Orange Street. This project seeks to measure a variety of water quality parameters, including nitrogen loading, from the largest five (5) of these catchment areas.
This project is a critical step in the prioritization and planning of future infrastructure improvements and is a necessary contribution to the development of an overall Watershed Plan for Nantucket Harbor.
The Nantucket Harbor Stormwater Sampling Program aims to take samples of water in outfall pipes during storm events over the next two years.
The data we seek to collect has always been a missing piece of the puzzle for Nantucket Harbor’s health and nutrient inputs. Confirming and monitoring this water now and in the future will be a huge step in better understanding how the Town and Community can be better stewards of harbor resources.