Town Meeting voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly defeated a measure that would have required developers to install potentially costly alternative septic systems for any newly-constructed buildings.

Presented by the town's Clean Water Committee, the proposal would have created a bylaw that, in an effort to reduce nitrogen in wastewater, would have required that nitrogen-reducing alternative septic systems be installed for any new buildings not connected to town sewer. The septic systems would be required to meet an annual nitrogen limit of 12 milligrams or less per liter of sewage.

"We have a nitrogen problem in Wareham. ... The major river systems have been declared impaired," said Clean Water Committee Chair Ed Pacewicz in advocating for the proposal. "Without this bylaw, new construction would make our nitrogen problem worse, requiring more homes to be sewered."

The problem with nitrogen -- which is naturally present in human waste and found in fertilizers -- is that it makes things grow. When it enters into waterways, invasive species such as algae grow out of control and use up the oxygen, thus causing shellfish and other marine life to die.

Frank DeFelice, who noted he was speaking as a citizen, though he also serves as chair of the Board of Health, told voters that the alternative septic systems are "very expensive."

"They run anywhere from $20,000-plus, plus the tank. ... You're looking at $30,000 or more for these systems," DeFelice told voters. "This will be harmful to the town. .. The citizens can't afford something like this."

A similar regulation is currently before the Board of Health for its consideration, though that regulation applies both to new construction and some additions to buildings. For more on that, click here.

In addition to worrying about costs of their own, voters expressed concern that enforcing the bylaw could become costly for the town. Pacewicz noted that a $50 fee built into the bylaw -- paid annually by owners of the septic systems -- could be used to pay for contracting out the monitoring of the systems.

Still, Sandy Slavin of Oak Street argued that it wasn't Town Meeting's job to create such a bylaw.

"This bylaw is to be controlled and monitored by the Board of Health," she said. "I believe they are the ones that should write their own bylaws that they are to enforce."

Voters defeated the proposal, with 293 in opposition and 98 in-favor of the bylaw.

Sewer plant odor may be no longer

In other wastewater business, after years of complaints from neighbors about the smell coming from the Water Pollution Control Facility, Town Meeting voters approved the purchase of a tank that officials say will reduce the odor.

Water Pollution Control Facility Director Guy Campinha -- who lives in the neighborhood near the plant and can attest to the smell -- explained that the odor currently comes from a basin that is filled with raw sewage and is open to the air. The new tank should reduce 85% of the odor, he said.

Voters unanimously authorized the town to spend $400,000 of Sewer Department funds to purchase a tank that will be covered to block the smell from escaping. The air would then be sucked out, Campinha explained, and treated to remove odors.

Campinha said that the remaining odor would be addressed using chemicals.

Elsewhere at Town Meeting:

• Voters approved an article that will allow David Rotella, resident of Nanumett Heights in Onset, to purchase a portion of town-owned land in the area of Gray Street to extend his backyard.

• Town Meeting voters approved a transfer of $100,000 of funds into a collective bargaining reserve account for the purposes of funding collective bargaining agreements.

• Voters approved the budget of the Water Pollution Control Facility for fiscal year 2013 and voted to spend $6,007,304 dollars for salary and wages, expenditures, and debt owed.