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Bristol tables Belmont’s request to keep septic tank tied to sewer; staff to negotiate maintenance agreement
Summary
At its May 7 meeting the council deferred a variance request from Belmont to retain an on-site septic tank after sewer connection, after legal counsel said the town lacks authority to grant a variance under current ordinance/statute; council asked staff to negotiate a written maintenance agreement and return with recommendations.
Jennifer Beal, a representative for Belmont, asked the Bristol Town Council on May 7 for a variance to allow an existing septic tank to remain in place after the property connected to the municipal sewer system. "When the building was built four years ago the city sewer line was not available to link into," Beal told the council, and Belmont proposed installing a smaller internal catch basin and increasing pumping frequency as a compromise to protect nearby grinder pumps.
Legal counsel Alex Bowman advised the council that the town ordinance requiring connection to the sewer is rooted in state statute and that the council "doesn't appear to be empowered to authorize a variance" from that statutory scheme. Bowman warned the requested arrangement still "represents some septage," which, if it reached the treatment plant, could harm operations.
Council members debated the engineering and operational trade-offs. Staff described the proposed device as a 4-foot-diameter internal unit that would act as a settlement/catch basin inside the existing 1,000-gallon tank; council heard that the inner unit would be roughly 4-by-4 feet (about 60–82 inches tall) and that Belmont would commit to more frequent pumping and reporting. Town staff and the developer said the inner device is intended to protect lift-station grinders from rags and other foreign material.
Rather than grant a variance at the meeting, the council voted unanimously to table the request and direct staff to draft a formal agreement that would specify maintenance responsibilities and reporting (quarterly or semiannual pump documentation was discussed). The motion to table was made and seconded, and voting members — Doug Smith, Kathy Burke, Greg Holski and Jeff Beach — voted yes.
Council members said they wanted to consult further with the town's sewer project manager (Tim) and to develop a private agreement if a statutory variance proved infeasible. Town staff said they would return to the council after meeting with Tim and finalizing proposed agreement language.
What happens next: staff will meet with the sewer manager, draft a maintenance and reporting agreement that addresses pumping frequency and responsibility, and bring the proposed agreement back to the council for consideration. The council did not grant a variance at the May 7 meeting.
