Board weighs dozens of septic variance requests; approves some, denies others amid wellhead concerns

NANTUCKET ' The Nantucket Board of Health on Tuesday considered a large group of septic-system variance requests and local upgrade approvals across the island, approving some requests for extra bedrooms tied to innovative-alternative (IA) treatment systems, denying others and continuing several items for more information.

The discussion ranged from single-house setbacks to a broader policy debate about whether IA systems should be used to allow extra bedrooms on small lots in the island's wellhead protection district.

Why it matters: many property owners seek IA systems to reduce nitrogen and other contaminants in effluent, but board members and environmental groups warned that granting bedroom credits case-by-case can increase total water use and stress the sole-source aquifer. Board members asked staff for clearer, quantitative guidance before approving many similar applications.

Key outcomes and actions

- 3 Millbrook Road: The board approved a variance with conditions. Staff engineering testimony identified a functioning well and recommended a 70-foot setback to the neighbor's well; the applicant agreed to a three-bedroom deed restriction and a staff walk-through to remove two bedrooms in the main house if required. The board recorded the outcome as…