The Cape Cod Watershed is composed of 586 miles of coastline, contains 52 embayment watersheds, and is divided into six hydrologically seperate groundwater cells or lenses. The Aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for the residents of Cape Cod and is replenished mainly from precipitation.
Precipitation percolates rapidly into the sandy soils.
Therefore, watershed to embayments, rivers, ponds, and wells are determined by the topography of the water table and not the land. Groundwater is Cape Cod's only source of drinking water, but it also replenishes our swimming ponds and is used for wastewater disposal. This wastewater may still harbor contaimants that endanger drinking water. For this reason, wastewater impacts need to be carefully managed. Excessive withdrawals of drinking and irrigation water near lakes, ponds, wetlands or rivers threaten wetlands, ponds, fisheries, and wildlife habitat.