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Natick Board of Health denies septic ejector-pump variance for 84 Farwell Street
Summary
At its Feb. 9 meeting the Natick Board of Health voted 2–0 to deny a variance to reduce the number of ejector pumps at 84 Farwell Street after staff cited a failing Title 5 inspection and long-standing local requirements for redundancy.
Karla H. Sangrey, chair of the Town of Natick Board of Health, and Donald J. Breda, clerk, voted on Feb. 9 to deny a request to reduce the number of required ejector pumps for the septic system at 84 Farwell Street.
The board considered a Title 5 inspection completed May 2, 2025 that found the septic system at the property in failure. The property owner plans to connect to the municipal sewer and proposed installing a one-pump ejector system, with an alarm and 24 hours of storage to allow repairs, presented by engineer Ted Doucette. Doucette argued that dual pumps are uncommon for single-family homes.
Michael K. Boudreau, director of public health, told the board that Natick has required dual ejector pumps for at least 25 years and expressed concern about reducing redundancy. Breda moved not to grant the variance; Sangrey seconded. The roll-call vote was 2–0 in favor of denying the variance.
The board’s action means the applicant must comply with the town’s established dual-pump practice or submit a revised plan meeting the board’s requirements. The minutes do not record any conditions for appeal or next steps set at the meeting.
