[Adopted 12-6-1993,effective 12-7-1993;
amended in its entirety 10-13-1999, effective 10-29-1999]
A.
Although the laws established by the commonwealth and
federal agencies are of a minimum nature, they are deemed to be generally
adequate to protect the public health and the environment in the interest
of present and future citizens of the commonwealth.
B.
However, specific identifiable local conditions may require
more stringent regulations to protect these interests. It is with this intent
that the Georgetown Board of Health, pursuant to the statutory authority granted
them in the General Laws of the commonwealth, with amendments and additions
thereto, and by the power thereto in accordance with the state's Environmental
Code, in the interest of and for the preservation of the public health, have
adopted the following regulations. Therefore, the Board finds that the balance
of remaining land available in the Town of Georgetown is marginal land and
the following regulations are necessary.
A.
The Board of Health, Town of Georgetown, Massachusetts,
in accordance with and under the authority granted by MGL c. 111, § 31,
and 310 CMR 11.02 (Title I) of the State Environmental Code, hereby adopts
the following regulations as supplements to Title V of the State Environmental
Code, Minimum Requirements for Subsurface Disposal of Sanitary Sewage, at
a meeting of the Board.
B.
All other regulations of the Board of Health inconsistent
with these regulations are repealed as of December 6,1993.
A.
If requested by the Georgetown Board of Health or its
agent, stakes defining the proposed lot shall be in place prior to testing
in order that the location of the test pits and percolation test sites can
be determined and verified by the inspector. Such locations shall be as shown
on the design plans accompanying an application for a works construction permit
of a private water well permit application.
B.
The application for a works construction permit for new construction shall be accompanied by a proof of ownership of the property, the proper fee and three copies of the proposed septic system design in appropriate form. The application form shall be completely filled out and signed by the owner or installer. When the application is for construction on property not served by the Georgetown Water Department, test results as required by Chapter 480, Wells, Private, shall accompany the application. Any plan submitted which proposes construction on the street side of the building shall have the location of any, or any proposed, underground utilities certified by the proper authorities.
C.
The septic system design plan must be on sheets of 24
inches by 36 inches. The design plan also be a scale of one inch equals 20
feet. The design plans shall also show contour lines at no more than two-foot
intervals showing elevation above mean sea level (unless waived by the Board
of Health or its agent for the reason that the property is not located in
or adjacent to a floodplain district). A fixed benchmark no more than 50 feet
from the septic installation area shall be established and its location indicated
on the plans. A neighborhood locus is also required. The site locus required
under Title 5 shall be a maximum scale of one inch equals 1,200 feet.
D.
The plan shall show a flow profile to scale of the system
starting at the foundation wall and extending through the leach area. The
profiles shall show, at a minimum, all structures, leaching area pipes, pipe
invert elevations, existing and proposed grades.
E.
If grading is required for "breakout," a section to scale
shall be shown through the leaching area and filled slope. The plan shall
show the distance to breakout and how it was computed.
F.
The plan must note if any portion of the lot or proposed/existing
system lies in a nitrogen sensitive area. This location must be clearly delineated.
G.
An amendment to the approved plan shall be submitted
for approval if any part of the system is modified or is located in a different
place than shown on the original plan. If a field decision is made, it shall
be so noted on two copies of prints, signed by the design engineer and Board
of Health agent, one to be kept by each. If the modification is a minor one,
the amendment may be submitted as an as-built plan at the discretion and with
prior approval of the inspector. An additional fee, as established from time
to time by the Board of Health, per inspection may be assessed if additional
inspections are required.
H.
The plan shall show a book and page number of deed or
plan references as filed in the Registry of Deeds.
I.
The Board of Health, at its discretion and at the expense
(not to exceed $500) of the applicant, may engage an independent engineer
to inspect any design plans or septic system installations exclusive of those
designed for single-family dwellings.
The following criteria must be met before a work construction permit
shall be issued:
A.
The leaching facility may be no closer than 100 feet
from any other pond, river, stream, wetland, drainage ditch or other watercourse
as defined in the Wetlands Protection Act, 310 CMR 10.00, or to any other
man-made stream, pond or lake.
B.
All new septic systems shall be designed to include garbage
disposal systems. Therefore, the sewage (flow design rate) for residential
dwellings shall be at least 165 gallons per bedroom per day. This supersedes
310 CMR 15.02(13) (Title V).
C.
Sewage flow estimates for light industry and other establishments
not noted specifically herein shall conform to 310 CMR 15.02(13) (Title V).
D.
Stables served by a water service shall have a design
loading rate of 50 gallons per stall per day.
E.
The septic tank must have a minimum capacity of 1,500
gallons [superseding 310 CMR 15.06(1)].
F.
In a trench system a separate alternate field must be
shown. The area between trenches may not be used as an alternate or reserve
area.
G.
New residential dwellings in which separate dwelling
units are owned by different and distinct owners and daily flow is less than
15,000 gallons per day shall have a separate septic system for each unit.
Those multiunit dwellings owned by one entity such as an association shall
be governed by regular Title V and Georgetown Board of Health septic system
design criteria, provided that any future property transfer stipulates in
the deed that there shall be a single owner who shall be responsible for septic
system maintenance.
H.
A septic tank must be at least 25 feet from a foundation
drain.
No portion of a dwelling, including the basement, shall be constructed less than the maximum groundwater elevation as defined in 310 CMR 15.01 (Title V). The plan provided for in § 462-7C of these regulations shall contain the following statement: "No interior part of any building will be in construction below ______ feet" (maximum groundwater elevation plus one foot).
A.
Two inspections are regularly required for each installation.
The Board may require additional inspections and shall specify them at the
time of issuance of the disposal works construction permit or during any stage
of construction. The Board or its agent shall inspect the soil in the excavation
of the leaching facility prior to construction or the insertion of any material.
If, in the opinion of the Board or its agent, a determination of the soil
condition in the excavation is needed, a percolation test shall be required
to be performed in the presence of the Board or its agent prior to any further
construction. Any modification of the design deemed necessary shall be made.
A final inspection by the design engineer or representative, health agent
or representative and installer shall be made prior to final covering of the
finished facility.
B.
In the case of repairs, an observation hole is required
prior to any construction or alteration to determine the groundwater level
and the character of the soil in the location. As above, the health agent
or representative, prior to any construction or insertion of any material,
must inspect the bottom of the excavation of the leaching facility.
C.
The design engineer or representative shall inspect the completed installation and shall file with the Board of Health a letter of certification that the system, as installed, agrees in all points with the original design. If major design changes are found to be necessary, then there shall be a revised plan as noted in § 462-7G of these regulations. The Board of Health must receive an as-built plan prior to issuance of a certificate of compliance. The as built plan must show lot footprint, location of major components of the septic system in relation to the building corners or to permanent natural features, exact as-built elevations of all inverts, depth of stone surrounding leach pits (if used), bench mark and street address and lot number. (The minimum requirement for an as-built plan may be a marked and signed original plan showing the location of major components in relation to the building corners or distances to permanent natural features with elevations of all inverts.)
D.
All letters of certification and/or as-built plans must
be filed with the Board of Health within two weeks after the final inspection.
Engineers and/or installers who fail to file these letters or plans will be
denied further permits until the Board has received all documents.
E.
Installers licensed in the Town of Georgetown who participate
in or originate unauthorized deviations to plans submitted to the Board of
Health are liable for their actions and, at the discretion of the Board of
Health, may have their licenses suspended for a period of time not to exceed
24 months.
A.
All piping from the septic tank to the distribution box
or leaching facility shall be SDR 35 or Schedule 40 PVC pipe, unless otherwise
specified by the Board of Health or its agent.
B.
All pipe connections at the inlet and outlet of septic
tanks and distribution boxes shall be sealed with hydraulic cement.
C.
All distribution box outlets shall be equipped with flow
distribution level devices (i.e., speed levelers or equivalent), except systems
served by a pump/pressure dosing system.
D.
A minimum of six inches of stone shall be installed under
all leach pits or galleries.
A.
All Title 5 septic system inspectors who perform work
in the Town of Georgetown must register annually with the Board of Health.
A fee set by the Board of Health shall be charged. The Board of Health or
its agent may deny permission to an inspector to work in Georgetown, if in
their opinion there is just cause.
B.
Any system which has not been in continuous use at the
time of inspection must be reinspected after six months of use. Results shall
be sent to the Board of Health. Failure of the system at this time will require
system replacement.
For new construction, portable toilets shall be installed at construction
sites from day one of construction.
For new construction, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Any subsurface sewage disposal system which has not been in use for
three years. This system must meet the requirements of the current Massachusetts
Title 5 or be upgraded to be in maximum feasible compliance.
For design purposes, the total number of rooms (excluding hallways
and bathrooms), rounded down if an odd number, and divided by two.
Reconstruction of an existing subsurface sewage disposal system to
meet the standards of 310 CMR 15.00 (Title 5) and Georgetown Board of Health
regulations.
Includes:
Work on any subsurface sewage disposal system which is failing because
the receiving soils are not able to disperse gray water into the ground.
Adding additional capacity to either a septic tank or leaching area
of a properly functioning system.
Work on an abandoned system.
Work on any subsurface sewage disposal system deemed failed by the Georgetown
Board of Health.
A person who shall violate a provision of these regulations or who fails
to comply therewith or with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect,
construct or who has erected or constructed a structure or sewage disposal
system or any portion thereof in violation of a detailed statement or plan
submitted and approved hereunder or of a permit or certificate issued hereunder
shall be punished by a fine as provided in MGL c. 111, § 31. Also,
the owner of the land where anything in violation of these regulation shall
exist and an engineer, contractor, agent, person or corporation employed in
connection therewith and who may have assisted in the commission of such violation
shall each be guilty of a separate offense and shall be punished by a fine
as provided in MGL c. 111, § 31. The imposition of any such fine
shall not preclude the town, acting by its Board of Health or agent, from
instituting an appropriate action or proceeding to prevent any lawful construction,
maintenance or use or to restrain, correct or abate a violation or prevent
the occupancy of a building or structure or portion thereof, or of the premises,
or to prevent an illegal act, conduct or use in or about any premises.
A.
So far as this Board of Health may provide, each section
of these rules and regulations shall be construed as separate to the end that
if any section, item, sentence, clause or phrase shall be held invalid for
any reason, the remainder of these rules and regulations shall continue in
full force and effect.
B.
These provisions shall be deemed to be a continuation
of existing regulations so far as they are the same and are effective upon
this date, December 7, 1993, and revised October 13, 1999.
