Life On A Sandbar: Water.

When the sandbar extends 60 miles out into the ocean, the weather is different than the mainland. Yesterday there was a line of severe thunderstorms moved across Connecticut and western Massachusetts. I had my fingers crossed that they would make it to the Cape, nope they all fizzled out and not a drop fell on the Cape.

Drought Deepens On Lower Cape

The Cape Cod Chronicle

by Alan Pollock

August 13, 2025

As if to affirm the region’s parched lawns and withering gardens, state officials last week upgraded Barnstable County to “significant drought” status from the “mild drought” designation that was in place previously.

 While July saw torrential rain across some interior portions of Southern New England, most of Cape Cod, and particularly the Lower Cape, received very little significant rainfall. Groundwater levels continue to drop in official monitoring wells in Brewster and Chatham, and dry vegetation is increasing the risk of wildfire, which is generally low at this time of year.

[…]

Groundwater levels fluctuate seasonally, with highest levels coming after winter snowfall and spring rains. As measured in the U.S. Geological Survey wells in Nickerson State Park and in South Chatham, the water table reached its seasonal high around late May at levels far below historic springtime peaks. Groundwater levels have been falling since that time and are already nearly as low as they typically are in late September, October or November.

You have to realize that here on the Cape our drinking water is sitting on a bubble of fresh water sitting on the salt water! Even through back home water is flowing over the spillway but here my well is pulling up sand. The bubble is getting smaller, a few years ago the shore cottages had to add expensive water systems to filter out the salt water!

The USGS has an article about the Cape fresh water here.

State officials also urge property owners to fix indoor leaks from toilets, faucets and showers, “which result in more than 60 percent of indoor use,” according to state guidelines.

But because it is a sandbar...

State officials also urge property owners to fix indoor leaks from toilets, faucets and showers, “which result in more than 60 percent of indoor use,” according to state guidelines.

But because it is all sand doesn't the water percolate back into the aquifer?

As more and more McMansion are built on the cape the water problem is only going to get worst just like their western counterparts we are facing a water crisis with water, water everywhere but none to drink!