Septic tank
While a properly maintained and located septic tank does not pose any more environmental problems than centralized municipal sewage treatment, certain problems can arise with septic tanks in unsuitable locations. Since septic systems require large drainfields, they are not suitable for densely built areas.
Pollution on Cape Cod
Prior to spending billions to install Central Sewer Plants, extensive networks of pipelines and thereby causing major disruptions to natural systems, and possibly doing great harm, a thorough and extensive evaluation is needed to avoid major damage and costs without reducing (or possibly increasing) the environmental damage on Cape Cod.
In Cape Cod, Massachusetts, small ponds in the inland areas and the surrounding waters of the Atlantic Ocean have become increasingly polluted over the years. The main pollutant considered to be problematic in these waters is nitrogen. The large amount of nitrogen in the water stems from the widespread use of private septic tanks in homes instead of the use of a town-owned sewer. This is because many Cape Cod towns opted out of purchasing sewer systems when the federal government subsidized them in the 1960s and 1970s for fear of attracting too many new homeowners to the communities. However, Cape Cod communities still grew despite the lack of public sewage systems, which resulted in the installation of many septic tanks in new homes.