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Hubbardston Board of Health reviews multiple Title 5 inspections, orders repairs and follow-up testing
Summary
At its May meeting the Town of Hubbardston Board of Health reviewed several Massachusetts Title 5 septic reports and approved follow-up steps for failures and repairs, including additional water testing for new construction and a requirement that a hauler submit a missing lab result before its permit is finalized.
The Town of Hubbardston Board of Health reviewed a series of Title 5 septic inspections and engineering plans at its May meeting, finding some systems passed, others failed and ordering follow-up work and tests.
The board recorded a failed Title 5 inspection at Moosehorn Hill Circle, noting evidence of a septic box overload and sewage backup that indicated a failure in the drainage field. A separate inspection for Laurel Road passed, and a Title 5 for 55 Hale Road was accepted with no issues reported. Board members said they receive hand-drawn diagrams frequently; those are often preferred because they indicate an inspector made on-site measurements.
For new construction at 58 Hale Road the board reviewed a proposed three-bedroom system with a 1,500-gallon tank and confirmed siting requirements, including the 100-foot minimum separation between leach fields and wells under state law. The board’s sanitarian witnesses per‑k tests as required by state regulations.
The board requested a second, in-house “kitchen” water test for 7 Morgan Road—standard practice for new construction to confirm that drinking water is safe once it reaches the finished dwelling. Board members said final certificates of compliance are signed only after the sanitarian verifies the repair or installation.
At Moosehorn Hill circle (Building 2) and several other condo/repair cases, the board noted existing leach trenches and approved plans to add trenches or replace tanks as repairs, subject to the sanitarian’s final field inspections before backfilling. The board discussed a repair at 8 Adams Road and a larger repair at 7 Williamsville Road, a four‑bedroom house with multiple existing wells; members said the work involves raising buried components and removing unsuitable materials from leach areas.
Board members reiterated maintenance guidance to residents: septic tanks should be pumped every two to three years and household “flushable” wipes can cause costly blockages.
The board said the state’s Title 5 regulations and local review process require sanitarians to perform on-site checks and sign compliance certificates after repairs or installations are complete. Final documentation (certificate of compliance) is co‑signed by the board’s designated reviewer before filing.
The board did not adopt new policy changes for septic systems at the meeting but emphasized follow-up inspections, water-testing requirements for new construction, and removal of unsuitable materials during repairs.
