As a tectonic shift in state wastewater regulations is under consideration by state officials, Island homeowners and towns are bracing for what could be millions of dollars in mandatory upgrades in the coming years.

On a boulder-peppered hill in Chilmark, a septic system is near completion. Tons of dense clay have been excavated and in its place a mess of tubes and concrete boxes now sit. Only one step is left: the septic must contend with Coop.

Lagoon Pond and just outside of the Lagoon Pond Bridge was closed to shellfishing after a sewer pipe broke at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Tuesday.

As coastal ponds and estuaries continue to deteriorate throughout the Cape and Islands, the DEP has proposed a pair of wastewater regulation amendments that could have sweeping impacts across the region.

The Edgartown wastewater treatment facility has dramatically curtailed its capacity for taking pumpouts from septic systems in recent months, forcing septic haulers to scramble.

A detailed look at the work of the man who keeps Island septic systems tuned up and running at peak performance.