RE: Title 5 Code minimum requirements to help determine the potential status of lots for possible TAX ABATEMENT PURPOSES

The Southborough Board of Health administers the State Title 5 Code for all sub-surface sewage disposal systems throughout the Town. Since the Town does not have a communal sewer system, all sewage is treated on site (on each property owner’s lot) and ultimately disposed into the ground. On-Site systems consist of cesspools, leaching pits, conventional septic tank and leaching field/trench systems, enhanced treatment coupled with sand filter, or other approved systems.
Every lot has the potential of having an on-site septic system as long as certain soil tests and other investigations are formally and officially conducted to show that an on-site system will or will not meet the State Code Title 5 minimum standards. The following procedures must be rigidly adhered to if the property is to qualify for any tax abatement application procedures with the Board of Assessors:

You must retain the services of a State Licensed and Certified Soil Evaluator to conduct and depict all soil testing as required by the State Title 5 Environmental Code. The Board of Health Agent must formally witness all soil tests and the lot owner must pay for all witnessing fees. The lot owner must have all soil test locations accurately shown on a plot plan drawn to scale. This plot plan should be drawn by either a Massachusetts Registered Land Surveyor, Professional Civil Engineer, Certified Soil Evaluator or other suitably registered and licensed individual.

The lot owner must have all wetlands and wetland boundaries within 100 feet of the lot shown on a plot plan and certified by the Southborough Conservation Commission.
All Storm water drainage systems must be shown within 100 feet of the lot. Drainage system components might consist of, but not necessarily be limited to: catch basins, drain lines, drop inlets, detention basins, retention basins, siltation basins, headwalls, open or closed drain channels, and manholes as part of any drainage system.
If the lot is within the Sudbury Reservoir watershed all tributaries, ponds, brooks, streams, and other bodies of water must be shown within 200 feet of the lot. If the lot is within the Sudbury River watershed, all tributaries, ponds, brooks, stream, and other bodies of water must be shown within 50 feet of the lot.
If ledge or impervious material exist on the lot limiting any area suitably large enough to allow for the proper siting of a Title 5 Code Soil Absorption System, such material must be properly shown and identified. Anything less than four feet thick “C” Horizon*, parent pervious material may render the lot unsuitable for placement of a Soil Absorption System and thus unbuildable. This information must be properly displayed on a plot plan.

Upon receipt of an application, a fee, and a plot plan indicating that the above mentioned criteria has been met, the Board of Health will consider the information at its next regularly scheduled meeting. A determination will be issued within 21 days after that meeting and a letter will be sent to the applicant with a copy to the Southborough Board of Assessors, stating the Board of Health’s findings.