The Town of Northborough Board of Health on April 7 approved two variances to allow replacement of a septic system serving a house at 200 Green Street.

The board voted to reduce the required private-well setback from 100 feet to 87 feet and to increase the maximum allowable depth of system components from 36 inches to 72 inches below finished grade, clearing the way for the proposed on-lot system design, board discussion shows.

Why it matters: The property’s existing system is more than 50 years old and currently relies on a leach field that crosses the street; the applicant said consolidating the system on the same lot will remove uncertainty tied to that off-site leaching field and accommodate likely future household water use.

Mike DeMonica, the applicant presenting the plan, said the house’s system "passed inspection, but it's also 50 years old. 51 years old," and that a new system would place all components on the parcel rather than relying on across-the-street infrastructure. DeMonica described the site as "fairly rocky," noted deep test holes produced acceptable soil profiles, and said the proposed installation is roughly 87 feet from the existing well and about 135 feet from another feature noted in the plan.

DeMonica told the board the dwelling’s soil pipe exits under the basement floor, constraining the system elevation. To meet breakout and slope requirements the design uses stepped trenches and an impervious barrier in some locations; two trenches and one tank location will have slightly more than the usual three feet of cover in places. He said installers may shift the layout on site to avoid rock outcroppings and that the distance to the well "may be adjusted when someone gets on-site to install it." The applicant also said he found about 10 feet of native depth at a test hole adjacent to a rock outcrop.

Board members discussed the practical benefits of consolidating the system on a single lot and noted the steep front slope and limited workspace between the house and the front lot line as constraints. A board member moved to allow the setback reduction; another seconded the motion. The board then moved and seconded the increase in allowable component depth. The transcript records the motions and a verbal affirmative vote but does not record a numeric roll-call tally; the motions were declared approved.

Clarifying details recorded at the hearing include: the existing system is about 51 years old; the proposed horizontal location is approximately 87 feet from the private well; one other measured distance referenced on the plan is roughly 135 feet; the code standard cited during the discussion requires H-20 loading for components and a three-foot maximum cover in most locations; the applicant proposed stepped trenches and an impervious barrier to meet breakout and slope rules.

No statute or ordinance number beyond a Title 5 inspection reference was given in the transcript; the applicant referred repeatedly to a "Title 5" inspection and to code requirements but did not cite a specific town bylaw number during the public presentation.

The board closed the item after approving both variances and thanking the applicants.