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Middleton board approves local upgrade approvals for septic work at 7 Evans Road
Summary
The Middleton Board of Health voted unanimously to approve Local Upgrade Approvals for a reduced-footprint septic system at 7 Evans Road, allowing closer setbacks to a well and foundation and use of a FAST pretreatment unit and Geo Flow dispersal system, pending final plan updates.
The Middleton Board of Health approved a set of Local Upgrade Approvals (LUAs) for a proposed septic replacement at 7 Evans Road after a presentation by the project engineer and consultant.
Ronald Tiberi, P.E., requested multiple local approvals for the site, including reducing the required separation from the well from 100 feet to 60 feet, reducing the required setback from the septic tank to the foundation from 10 feet to 6 feet, and reducing the required septic field size by 50% based on a design rate of 150 gallons per day (gpd). The plan calls for a Geo Flow dispersal system under a DEP remedial-use approval and a FAST (Fixed Activated Sludge Treatment) aerobic pretreatment unit as an approved DEP device.
Ardi Rrapi, manager at Cheney Engineering, told the board the existing cesspool is in failure and that the chosen location for the new system was constrained by wetlands and the neighbor’s well. Rrapi said using a FAST system reduced the system footprint and that the property owners will have a maintenance contract for the system. The house was described as having three bedrooms plus a fourth above the garage; the well elevation at the site is four feet higher than the proposed system.
Public Health Director Traci Mello said Middleton does not allow garbage disposals, and the plan will need to be updated accordingly. The transcript notes the existing cesspool will be pumped and filled with sand for decommissioning because its exact location is under the existing deck.
Paul LeBlanc moved to approve the requested LUAs; Matt Greenfield seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Rrapi said he will contact Director Mello to finalize plan details before final approval.
Why it matters: the board’s approvals allow the homeowner to replace a failing cesspool with an engineered, smaller-footprint septic system that relies on DEP-approved pretreatment and dispersal technologies. The reduced setbacks and reduced field size were granted because the project team proposed compensating technologies and a maintenance contract; the board recorded those conditions and required plan updates to reflect local prohibitions such as garbage disposals.
What’s next: the applicant will finalize plan revisions with the Health Department for administrative sign-off and decommission the existing cesspool once permits and final plans are approved.
