Pollution 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. Many Cape Cod towns opted out of purchasing sewer systems when the federal government subsidized them in the 1960s and 1970s to avoid the influx of new homeowners to the communities . Cape Cod communities still grew despite the lack of public sewage systems, which resulted in the installation of many septic tanks in new homes. The increased nitrogen levels in the Cape Cod waters has resulted in a greater amount of algae blooming in the spring and summer months, since nitrogen is a nutrient for algae. When the algae die, they leave a thick coat of slime on the bottom of the bays and ponds, which severely reduces the amount of shellfish and crabs able to survive on the seafloor. The algae also limit the amount of oxygen available in the  water, which kills the fish living beneath them. The algae are the source of red tides, which have been occurring more frequently with the heightened levels of nitrogen. To counter the problem, towns are trying to institute new programs and procedures to reduce the levels of nitrogen present in the waters of Cape Cod. The common solution that has been brought up is installing new town-wide sewer systems to prevent runoff from septic tanks reaching the waters, since sewer systems release less nitrogen into the environment than private septic tanks.