Evaluating and Increasing the Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Wastewater Infrastructure in Southeastern Massachusetts

Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has redefined Base floodplains (more commonly known as 100 year floodplains) in most of southeastern Massachusetts. In many coastal communities, wastewater infrastructure that was previously considered to be outside the extent of the Base Flood is now anticipated to be vulnerable to this event. Additionally, projections for sea level rise are expected to exacerbate flood risk in future years. One particularly vulnerable area is the low-lying coastal town of Wareham, Massachusetts. The town is nestled around the coastal estuaries of Buzzards Bay, which creates several throttling points where catastrophic waves are anticipated to develop from Atlantic Ocean storms. The town’s wastewater infrastructure, which is typically at the lowest elevations, is especially vulnerable to the most recently established Base Flood. Conducting a ‘Risk and Vulnerability Assessment’ allowed the Town to prioritize which of its many competing coastal resilience wastewater infrastructure issues to address first.