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Lakeville board approves tight‑tank variance for half bath in garage at 8 Dazelle Road
Summary
The Lakeville Board of Health approved a variance from Title 5 to allow sanitary flow from a half bath and floor drains in a new garage to discharge to a 2,000‑gallon tight tank already serving floor drains and an oil/water separator; the approval requires yearly pumping reports and updated plans.
The Lakeville Board of Health on Dec. 18 approved a variance from Title 5 Section 15.26 allowing sanitary waste from a half bath and attached floor drains in a new garage at 8 Dazelle Road to be tied into a 2,000‑gallon tight tank, rather than routed to the house leaching field.
The variance was requested by the property owner and presented by the project engineer as a cost‑saving, site‑specific solution. The applicant and engineer told the board the garage is a personal hobby shop, not a commercial operation, and that the additional sanitary flow would be minimal. The engineer said trenching and pumping roughly 250 feet to reach the existing leaching field would be expensive — the applicant estimated about $15,000 — and argued it was more practical to route the small sanitary flow into the existing tight tank that already receives floor‑drain discharge after an oil/water separator.
Board members pressed on safety, regulatory limits and long‑term consequences. Ed (Health Agent) told the board that tight tanks are permitted in the town where appropriate but must meet inspection and reporting requirements. “All tight tanks get inspected every year in Lakeville,” Ed said, and annual pumping reports from the licensed pumper will be required to document what is removed from the tank and that both the sanitary and floor‑drain wastes are handled as specified.
The board’s approval included conditions: the sanitary tie‑in must match the drawings with the tight tank sized at a minimum 2,000 gallons; the bathroom will be limited to a half bath (no shower or full bath allowed); the applicant must revise and re‑submit plans showing the 2,000‑gallon capacity; the Health Agent and plumbing inspector must sign off during construction and on completion; and yearly pumping/inspection reports must be submitted to the Board of Health.
Town staff and members discussed technical points raised by the engineer and applicant: floor drains serving the garage must discharge through an oil/water separator before entering the tight tank, per plumbing code; a tight tank sized for sanitary flow must meet the 2,000‑gallon minimum; and some wastewater treatment plants may require notification or have limits on accepting industrial or pretreated wastewater. The board and applicant also discussed tank construction; the Health Agent recommended a monolithic tank to reduce leakage risk.
Motion and vote: Board member Derek moved to approve the variance as drawn with the clarifying conditions (half‑bath only, 2,000‑gallon tight tank, updated plans, required inspections and annual pumping reports). The motion was seconded and carried in a recorded vote (yes: 2; no: 1). The board chair directed staff to require the updated plan and to reflect the conditions in the written approval.
Next steps: The applicant must submit revised plans showing the 2,000‑gallon tank capacity and obtain the plumbing inspection and Health Agent sign‑offs before construction begins. The tight tank will be subject to annual pumping/inspection reporting to the Board of Health.
