The Provincetown Department of Public Works is responsible for all of the Town's public works functions, including Highway, Solid Waste, Water, Wastewater, and Buildings & Grounds.

Overhanging Tree Limbs, Bushes and Hedges: EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATLY - The Highway Department will be patrolling Town Roadways looking for overhanging tree limbs, intrusion of bushes and hedges into or over public ways that can interfere with SAFETY, PARKING AND TRAFFIC FLOW. See Public Notice.

Street Sweeping Regulations in Effect: The Town of Provincetown Street Sweeping regulations will go into effect on Tuesday, May 26, 2009. Parking is prohibited and violators will be towed on Commercial Street in street sweeping zones from 9:00 a.m to 11:00 a.m. See Public Notice.

Adoption of New Cemetery Fees and Charges: The Provincetown Cemetery Commission held a Public Hearing on Monday, April 6, 2009 at 2:00 PM at the Community Center, 44 Bradford St., Provincetown, MA 02657, and voted to adopt a revised schedule of cemetery fees. See Public Notice.

Water

New Water Rates Effective April 15, 2009: On March 12, 2009 the Provincetown Water and Sewer Board held a public hearing and voted to adopt the following schedule of water rates. On March 23, 2009, the Provincetown Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to MGL c. 40, §22F, to approve the recommendation of the Water and Sewer Board. See Public Notice.

Elderly Low-Income Water Exemption: On March 12, 2009 the Provincetown Water and Sewer Board held a public hearing and voted to adopt an exemption equal to one-half of the charges for water service per billing cycle for those customers who meet the requirements for a Clause 41C tax exemption, as administered by the Board of Assessors. On March 23, 2009, the Provincetown Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to MGL c. 40, §22F, to approve the recommendation of the Water and Sewer Board, effective April 15, 2009. See Public Notice.

Changes to Various Water-Related Fees Effective April 15, 2009: On March 12, 2009 the Provincetown Water and Sewer Board held a public hearing and voted to adopt the following schedule of miscellaneous water-related fees. On March 23, 2009, the Provincetown Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to MGL c. 40, §22F, to approve the recommendation of the Water and Sewer Board. See Public Notice.

Change in Length of Peak and Off-Peak Billing Periods: On February 18, 2009 the Provincetown Water and Sewer Board held a public hearing and voted, pursuant to MGL c. 40, §39J, to amend the length of the peak and off-peak billing periods. See Public Notice.

Current Rates for Miscellaneous Water-Related Services:
Turn on/turn off $45.00, $80.00 after hours
Meter testing $50.00, waived if meter over-registers
Flow tests $50.00, hydrant or fire services
Mark-out $25.00
Leak detection $25.00 per hour or portion thereof
See Public Notice.

Water Pumpage report 1996-2009

Annual Water Report for 2008. Meeting the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Provincetown Water Department is proud to provide you with the 2008 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.

Provincetown, Truro Selectmen sign 4-year Intermuncipal Water Agreement extension. On October 12, 2004, the Provincetown and Truro Boards of Selectmen approved a four-year extension to the intermunicipal water agreement while jointly submitting to Cape Cod National Seashore a plan for replacing the North Truro Air Force Base wells with North Union Field in the Town of Truro. The Intermunicipal Water Agreement-- which was first reached in 1981 and significantly amended in 2000-- is extended for a period of four years- until December 31, 2008-and includes these new provisions:

• Provincetown may acquire North Union Field in Truro-- upon terms to be further negotiated-- to facilitate its development as a redundant water supply source.
• Provincetown and Truro will jointly submit by October 15, 2004 the plan to Cape Cod National Seashore for replacement of the NTAFB wells with North Union Field.
• Provincetown and Truro commit to developing water supplies that will constitute a fully redundant source to the existing South Hollow Well Field (800,000 GPDs), as required by DEP, and to develop by December 31, 2006 a plan for achieving such redundancy.
• Provincetown and Truro will each appoint 2 members to a 4-member Pamet Lens Oversight Group (PLOG)-an advisory body with no executive authority-- which would make recommendations on a conservation plan, watershed management plan, and water system master plan to be adopted by both boards.
• Provincetown's Water Enterprise Fund budget requests will be based on the water system master plan jointly adopted by the two boards; Truro Selectmen will have an opportunity to provide their written comments thereon, and to meet jointly with the Provincetown Selectmen.
• Truro agrees to cooperate with Provincetown in the pursuit of payment of unpaid water bills from properties in the Town of Truro.

Water Use Restrictions
The following restrictions are in effect from June 1 through October 1 in each calendar year:
No lawn sprinklers
No soaker hoses
No power washing
No hydro seeding
No washing of vehicles (except emergency and sanitation vehicles)
No filling or curing of swimming pools
Violators are subject to fines and termination of water service.

Most Improved Community System. The Commonwealth's Department of Environmental Protection and the Massachusetts Water Works Association has presented its 2001 Public Water System Award for Most Improved Community System to the Provincetown Water Department for notable performance and achievement in the year 2000. Provincetown's average daily withdrawals are at a 10-year low. Water withdrawn (pumped) declined by 4.7% between 1999 and 2000-- from 901,460 gallons per day (GPDs) to 859,536 GPDs. The percentage of unaccounted-for-water continues to decline-- from 19.78% for the billing period ending February 1999, to 15.78% through April 2000, to 12.95% for the period ending October 2000.

Solid Waste

The Town provides residential curbside recycling and refuse pick-up Monday-Thursday  4 am to noon. Click for Curbside Pick-up Schedule Read about curbside recycling in Provincetown. Read the regulations for solid waste and recycling.

Transfer Station/Recyling Center - 90 Race Point Road.
Effective through March 31, 2010 the Transfer Station will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and closed on Sunday and Monday.

HAZARDOUS AND NON-HAZARDOUS PAINT PRODUCTS . See information on how to dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous paints, stains and wood finishes.

New Transfer Station Fees: The Provincetown Board of Health held a Public Hearing on Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 5:00p.m. in Caucus Hall, Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts, and then and there voted 4-0-0 to approve the new procedures and fees, effective immediately: See Public Notice.

SEMASS TONNAGE DECREASED BY 13.7% IN FY 2008. In FY 2008, Provincetown's solid waste tonnage tipped at SEMASS decreased from 4,129 tons to 3.563 tons, a decrease of 13.7%. For the first nine months of FY 2009 tonnage declined by 221 tons, or 8%, compared to the same period in FY 2008. See data.

Wastewater

Sewer Emergency Phone Number: 508-487-5474

Pursuant to Chapter 21, Section 43 of the General Laws, and Regulations 314 CMR 7.00 and 2.06, notice is given of application(s) for sewer extension or connection permits and proposed actions. See Public Notice.

July 4th Sewer Emergency: On Saturday, July 4 at 9:30 a.m. the Town of Provincetown experienced a sewer pipe break which resulted in the loss of vacuum pressure in the downtown area sewer lines. As of 12:00 noon Wednesday, July 8th, the Provincetown sewer system was up and running 100%. Please report any concerns or sewer related issues to the DPW at 508-487-7060 or the 24 hour emergency line at 508-487-5474. Read More.

Sewer User Rate Decrease: On October 16, 2008, the Provincetown Water and Sewer Board held a public hearing and voted, pursuant to MGL c. 83, §16, to decrease the sewer user rate from the current rate of $0.0185/gallon to $0.01385/gallon. On October 27, 2008 the Provincetown Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to MGL c. 40, §22F, to approve the recommendation of the Water and Sewer Board, effective November 16, 2008. This rate change reflects a 25.14% decrease from the current rate and applies to all properties connected to the sewer. See Public Notice.

Amendments to Water & Sewer Regulations: The Provincetown Water and Sewer Board held a public hearing Thursday, March 1, 2007, in the Second Floor Meeting Room, Senior Center, Grace Gouveia Building, 26 Alden Street, Provincetown MA 02657 and then and there amended and adopted the following Sewer Rules and Regulations. Read Public Notice for changes.

Minimum Sewer Bill - On October 24, 2005, the Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to MGL C.40, §22F, to approve a minimum sewer bill per billing cycle of $75 for residential and $150 for commercial or mixed-use accounts, as adopted by the Water & Sewer Board on October 20, 2005. See Public Notice.

Sewer Connection Surcharge Rates - Red Dot Properties: On August 27, 2007 the Provincetown Board of Selectmen voted, pursuant to MGL c. 40, §22F, to approve the sewer connection surcharge rate as amended by the Water and Sewer Board on July 12, 2007 to increase said rate from $39.08 to $45.00 per gallon per day of Title 5 design flow, effective November 1, 2007. See Public Notice.

Contractor List. Click here for a complete list of contractors providing service for the installation of the sewer

Sewer Hook-up FAQs. Have a question regarding your sewer hook up? Click here for some of the most Frequently Asked Questions.

More sewer information

Highway

Street Sweeping Regulations in Effect May 26, 2009: The Town of Provincetown Street Sweeping regulations will go into effect on Tuesday, May 26, 2009. Parking is prohibited and violators will be towed on Commercial Street in street sweeping zones from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM as indicated in the Public Notice. See Public Notice.

Overhanging Tree Limbs, Bushes and Hedges: Effective Novebmer 2, 2008, the Highway Department will be patrolling Town roadways looking for overhanging tree limbs, intrusion of bushes and hedges into or over public ways that can interfere with winter operations of sanding and plowing. See Public Notice.

Discontinuance of Route 6 in Provincetown. The Massachusetts Board of Highway Commissioners has voted to discontinue Route 6 in Provincetown as a state highway and to transfer to the Town of Provincetown all of the roadway and portions of the adjoining property for wastewater disposal areas. View the discontinuance plan (8 sheets - PDF files)

For more information contact: 
Office of the Director of Public Works, Town of Provincetown, 26 Alden Street, Provincetown, MA  02657 (508) 487-7060