Expansion of Wareham's sewer system and improvements at the sewage treatment plant have improved water quality in the Wareham River, but the town must sewer approximately 2,100 more homes and build another treatment plant to continue the reduction of nitrogen pollution in Wareham's waterways, Selectmen were told Tuesday.

The report came from the Wareham Nitrogen Consensus, a broad group of citizens, developers, cranberry growers, scientists, and others who spent more than six months working together to develop the 41-page action plan presented to the Board of Selectmen.

"The town has been wrestling with this nitrogen-pollution problem for a very, very long time," said Mark Rasmussen, President of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay and spokesman for the Consensus.

Nitrogen pollution leads to excess growth of plants and, particularly, algae.  This results in murky, foul-smelling water and reduces fish and shellfish populations, as the abundant plant life uses up the oxygen that other animals need. Because the two biggest sources of nitrogen pollution are wastewater and cranberry bogs, the group focused on those areas, Rasmussen said.

Among the group's recommendations:

• That the town support the completion of all sewer projects currently in progress.
• That the town work with the state to bring mobile-home parks, which are not meeting state standards for nitrogen removal, into compliance. New nitrogen-reducing wastewater systems will need to be built in order to bring them into compliance. Financing the upgrade of the wastewater systems for mobile-home parks "will be a challenge," Rasmussen said. The responsibility will fall on park owners. Parks in other Cape towns with a similar number of units cost park owners between $24,000 and $36,000 per unit for the upgrades.
• The group also suggested that the town begin thinking of building another wastewater treatment plant because, after the current sewer projects are completed, the existing facility will be near capacity. "We need to bring more sewer services to more dense neighborhoods," Rasmussen said. Sewering 482 residences in the Gateway Shores neighborhood, which is off of Route 28 and in close proximity to the Agawam River, should be a priority, the group determined.
• In addition, the town should consider constructing "satellite" treatment plants to handle the Shangri-La and Lakeshore Drive neighborhoods.

The 21 Consensus members who signed the final report stretch across the town's political divisions. Among the signees were: Selectman Brenda Eckstrom, scientist Thomas Bicki, cranberry grower John Decas, Move Wareham Forward co-founder David Begley, and citizen activists Bob Brady and Edward Pacewicz.

In putting together its action plan, the group worked off of a draft of a Massachusetts Estuaries Project report for the Wareham River system. The group urged the town to demand that the state correct errors, complete, and finalize the report, which was due to the town in 2004. The information will help the town in planning its efforts to reduce nitrogen pollution to the Wareham River.

The Selectmen voted to write strong letters to the state urging the completion of the report.

The Consensus also recommended that a similar report be developed for the Weweantic River system, which is almost as polluted as the Wareham River system.

The Consensus did not have a similar report to work off of in regards to cranberry bogs, Rasmussen said. It is not known how much nitrogen pollution comes from the bogs. However, the conversion of older bog systems to newer systems that are more efficient in the application of chemicals and water usage helps reduce pollution. The group recommended that growers explore federal funding for bog upgrades.

The Selectmen praised the group's work and acknowledged the need to come up with a plan for the eventual construction of a new sewer plant.

"I think we all recognize that we're up against the wall for that one," said Selectmen Chair Jane Donahue.

The group will meet every six months to monitor the progress of its recommendations.

For more information on the Wareham Nitrogen Consensus, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/wareham.

In other town business:

• The Selectmen will conduct a workshop regarding the appointment process to boards, committees, and commissions, on September 11 at 8:45 a.m.  The issue of whether volunteers can be limited to serving on multiple boards has sparked recent controversy.
• The Selectmen will vote on sewer issues, including whether to combine sewer contracts for different neighborhoods, and how to apply stimulus funding to the projects in an effort to reallocate the cost of the projects, on September 14 at the regularly-scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting. The Board will also set the sewer user fee (EDU rate) for the coming year.
• Selectmen approved a one-day alcoholic beverages license for the Upper Cape Regional Technical School 1975 class reunion.
• Town Administrator Mark Andrews announced that Assistant Assessor Sheila Scaduto has been named Acting Assessor. She takes over for Richard Gonsalves, who took a position elsewhere.
• Interim Harbormaster Garry Buckminster announced that a vessel safety day will take place at Onset Pier on September 11.