Efforts from the Sewer Department to patch leaky pipes and repair its equipment may provide some wiggle room in its moratorium. 

The Sewer Department currently has a moratorium in place, meaning no new sources of sewage flow to the wastewater treatment plant can be approved. 

Sewer Commissioners identified some projects that could allow for exceptions to the sewer moratorium in the future in a meeting on Thursday, Nov. 30.

"As far as Swifts Beach is concerned, if we repair the main line there, and line the others, we may find ourselves having recovered some gallons" because of the current leakage from that pipe, said Sewer Commission Chair Bernie Pigeon. 

A project proposed by local businessman Danny Warren was set to repair the broken water main in the Swifts Beach area.

By comparing the flow numbers from before the repairs to the flow numbers from a several month period following the repairs, the Sewer Commission could determine how much water is saved, Pigeon said. "That's some potential resources to be able to consider some exceptions possibly to the moratorium."

Sewer Commissioners discussed several small projects that could benefit from exceptions, including two duplexes being built by the Wareham Housing Authority. 

The Sewer Commission did not indicate any plans to lift the moratorium, nor did they indicate any plans for large scale exceptions.

Scott Kraihanzel, director of the Water Pollution Control Facility, said in his report his team was making progress on its work at the facility. "We're continuing to try to make the repairs to make the systems work that much better, and maybe allow for the moratorium to be selectively lifted," Kraihanzel said.