Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC)
Protecting Yarmouth’s drinking water, ponds, and coastal waters — coordinating watershed management across all town departments and boards
Committee Members
| Name | Role / Affiliation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Spyro Mitrokostas | Chair | Active |
| Mary Craig | Board of Health Representative | Rep |
| Mark Galkowski | Member | Active |
| Ken Smith | Planning Board Representative | Rep |
| John Deliso | Member | Active |
| David Bernstein | Conservation Commission Representative | Rep |
| George Perkins | Member | Active |
| Lee Rowley | Member | Active |
| John Grieco | Member | Active |
Source: yarmouth.ma.us — WRAC Directory
What WRAC Does
🚰 Drinking Water Protection
Advises on the protection of Yarmouth’s wellfields and aquifer recharge areas. Coordinates with the Water Division and Conservation Commission to prevent contamination from development, spills, and improper land use near water supply zones.
🌊 Nitrogen & Nutrient Management
Addresses nitrogen loading into Yarmouth’s ponds and coastal embayments — a critical issue on Cape Cod where excess nitrogen from septic systems causes algae blooms, fish kills, and ecological decline. Coordinates with CWMP wastewater planning.
🏞️ Pond & Coastal Water Quality
Monitors the health of Yarmouth’s freshwater ponds (Long Pond, Dennis Pond, Flax Pond, etc.) and salt marshes. Coordinates water quality testing and recommends management actions to address pollution, invasive species, and habitat degradation.
🔗 Inter-Board Coordination
Serves as the coordinating body bringing together Health, Conservation, Planning, and Public Works perspectives on water issues. Ensures that decisions made by any single board account for broader watershed and water resource implications.
Active Issues & Current Focus
Yarmouth is in the process of implementing its CWMP — a multi-decade, hundreds-of-millions-dollar effort to bring sewer infrastructure to reduce nitrogen loading in impaired coastal waters. WRAC tracks progress on phased sewer expansion and advises on priorities.
Ongoing monitoring of nitrogen, phosphorus, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and other indicators across Yarmouth’s freshwater ponds. Summer algae blooms have closed swimming beaches and posed public health risks in recent years.
Working with the Board of Health and Conservation Commission to address nitrogen from lawn fertilizers and stormwater runoff. Yarmouth’s nitrogen regulations and best management practices are reviewed and updated through WRAC coordination.
Assessing how rising sea levels and increased storm intensity affect Yarmouth’s coastal water quality, saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers, and the condition of salt marshes and tidal flats along Lewis Bay and Nantucket Sound.
Meetings & Agendas
WRAC meets monthly at Yarmouth Town Hall. Meeting dates, agendas, and minutes are posted on the town’s Agenda Center. Meetings are open to the public and are among the most important for residents concerned about water quality and the CWMP.
Public Participation
WRAC meetings are open to the public and residents are strongly encouraged to attend, especially those concerned about water quality in Yarmouth’s ponds, drinking water safety, or the town’s CWMP sewer expansion. Residents living near impaired water bodies are particularly encouraged to attend and provide local observations. You can also contact the town’s Natural Resources Division with water quality concerns.
Nitrogen from septic systems is the #1 water quality threat to Cape Cod’s ponds and bays.