HomeMy WebLinkAbout- Correspondence - 487 WINTER STREET 4/4/2019 i
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Forth Andover Health Department
Community Development Division 1
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Dear Homeowner:
RE: 487 Winter Street
The North Andover Health Department has received a copy of your Title V inspection report as
required by the MA DEP regulations. This report was conducted by Neil Names I3ateson on
March 27, 2019 and indicated a finding of Failed Septic System. As you may currently be in
the difficult process of selling your home, we understand that you may be wondering; what this
determination means to you, how do I find an engineer or how long should I expect the process
to take. The staff at the:Health Department will be happy to assist you with your questions.
Please note that any work performed on your onsite sewage disposal system must be done by a
locally licensed septic installer. The MA General Law listed below requires that your septic
inspector was to supply you with a list of installers provided by the Health Department. If the
Inspector has not done so, we would appreciate it ifyou would let us know via email or phone,
and we will be sure you receive the most Lip to date list.
M.G.L. c21A§13A:
Section 13A. A system inspector of on-site sewage disposal systems,approved by the department of environmental
protection,who performs an on-site inspection sewage disposal system under the provisions of the state
environmental code,shall not recommend a specific disposal system installer,including himself,to perform any
work related to the replacement,repair,alteration or design of said system,provided,however,that all system
inspectors shah, at the time of inspection,provide to the property owner a list prepared by the local board of health
of local disposal system installers who are approved to perform such work. Each board of health shall prepare and
make available a list containing the name, address,and phone number for at least five such installers who request to
be included on such list.Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit a system inspector fi•om distributing
such list on which his own name shall appear;provided,however,that such inspector shall in no way distinguish his
name from others on such list.
A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than$1,000.
We look forward to assisting you in any way possible in the effort to ensure your onsite disposal
system will protect the environment.
That you,
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ian L Grasse
Director of Public Health
120 Main Street,North Andover,Massachusetts 01845
Phone 978.688.9540 Fax 978,688.9542 Web www.nortliandoverma.gov
Town of North Andover Health Department—�GuidlOto the Septic Installation
Process
How to go from a Title 5 inspection to repairing or replacing a septic system:
If you need a Septic System Inspection done,you need to hire a licensed Title 5 Inspector.
Title 5 Inspectors are licensed by the state of Massachusetts and also permitted to
work in the Town of North Andover. .A list of current inspectors can be found at
www.towli(>fiiorthai,ido-ver.coi-n, Health Department section.
The Inspector will perform,their assessment and then submit the Septic System Inspection
report to the Health Department within 30 days with a check made out to the Town of
North Andover in the amount of$50.00.The result will be either"Pass", "Fail", or.
"Conditional Pass".
In the event that you have a Title 5 Inspection done and you receive a Pass, there is no
further action required of you at this time. The report will be submitted to the Health
Department office within 30 days of completion and will become public record.
In the event that you have a Title 5 Inspection done and you receive a Conditional Pass
(which means the system will pass if a specific item is repaired) the following steps must be
followed:
The homeowner hires a Septic Disposal Works Installer (SDWJ) permitted by the
Town of North Andover. The list of SDWI's is posted on the Town of North
Andover website in the Health Department section or is available at at the Health
Department office, NOTE: If the Inspector is also a permitted septic installer in
North Andover, he oi-she can perform the installation provided he gives the
homeowner affill list of installers permitted in North Andover.
The hired installer submits an application with a fee of$125 for a component
replacement/repair and the application is reviewed and a permit is generated. The
installer is notified by phone that the permit is ready for pickup. If you only need a
component repair, such as a pipe or a tank, design plans generally do not need to be
submitted, except in the case where placement is different. If plans are needed see
DcIsi�n Plans below.
In the event that you have a Title 5 Inspection done, and you receive a Failing status report,
the following steps must be followed:
Soil Testing
An application to schedule soil and percolation testing must be completed by an
engineer, sanitarian or soil evaluator that you hire, and a fee of$360 (or$425 for
undeveloped lots) must be attached,made payable to the"Town of North Andover.
June,2015
Atecluest is then sent to the Town's septic consultant to schedule soil and
percolation testing. The soil testing usually takes place within two weeks.
The consultant notifies the soil evaluator when the testing,will take place.
Soil testing is completed and results are sent to the-Health Department and engineer.
Design Plans
The homeowner hires an engineer or sanitarian to design a septic system and
produce a plan reflecting the placement of the system and all pertinent information.
The septic plan is submitted to the Health Department with an application and a fee
of$225.00. Plans will be sent by mail, for review, however if the engineer or
sanitarian has provided the Health Department with a PDF copy of the plan, the
accompanying paperwork and the PDF are emailed that day to out Septic
Consultant.
The Health Dcparn-rient strives to complete reviews of design plans within three
weeks' time. Maximum time allowed is 45 days though this is rarely needed.
➢ Once reviewed, an approval or disapproval letter is generated and sent to the
homeowner and engineer or sanitarian. If approved, the homeowner can hire an
installer to build the approved septic system as described below. If disapproved, the
engineer Or sanitarian must address the missing or deficient criteria, and submit a
revised plan for re-.review.
If site constraints are such that the plan cannot comply with the standards in the
regulations and requires a variance request from those standards to be reviewed, the
engineer or sanitarian will note that on the plan and make arequest inwi.-iting to be
present at an upcoming meeting of the North Andover Board of Health. Once the
plan is substantially approvable it will be placed on the next available nionthly BOH
meeting.
Some septic system projects will require review and approval from other Town
departments or boards in addition to die Health Department and Board of Health.
If needed this is usually from the Conservation Commission if the work is proposed
in their jurisdiction. You can learn more about tbisfioni your engineer or sanitarian
or the Conservation Commission office.
Repair/Replacement
The homeowner must hire a Septic Disposal Works Installer permitted by the Town
of North Andover. The list of SDWI's is posted on die Town's website or paper
copies are available at the Health Department office.
The hired installer submits an application with a fee of$250 ($125 for work on an
ii-idividual component only) and the application is reviewed and a permit is
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generated. The permit, and a copy of the septic plan approval letter are stapled to
the approved stamped plans, and the installer is notified by phone that the plan arid
permit are ready for pickup. j
The installer will have a pre-construction meeting with Health Department Staff to
review site-specific issues.
The installer night need to acquire additional permits for work depending on what is {
proposed to be built at your property. These might include electrical permits for any
pumps or alarms,building permits for certain walls, or trench permits for excavation.
Your installer should be able to guide you through the permits needed, as can the
various Town Department;who might be involved.
The installer will have their work overseen by.Health. Department staff and/or the
Town's outside consultant. Here is a summary of the inspection process:
Tank hole inspection—Installer shall request inspection to confirm the location of
the excavation arid to show a minimum of 6 inches of stone on the bottom of the
tank:hole. Also confirimed will be the tank's distance to the building and its
orientation to the system.
Bottom of Bed (BOB) — (if there is a retaining wall it should be done first) The
installer shall inform the Health Dept. of the proposed timing of installation. I'he
installer must request the inspection of the:BOB, but does not have to be present.
Inspector will respond in a reasonable time. Excavation should be complete and if
needed for the installation, 1 load of septic sand shall be available on site for
observation. Multiple inspections may incur a re-inspection fee of$50 if the installer
puts in a request and the site is found not ready.
Final Ins ection—The design engineer or sanitarian will first complete an
inspection of the system to confirm compliance with the approved plans and the
various regulations. The engineer or sanitarian will call or email the Health
Department upon dieir satisfactory assessment of the construction, after which the
installer calls to set up an inspection time for the health department or their outside
consultant to performn a final inspection. The licensed installer must be present for
this inspection. With a pump system, a permit must be acquired through the
Building Department. All electrical work must be ready and able to cause the pump
to work and alarm to function. The Town will.contact the consultant,who will in
turn contact the installer. f
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Final Grade—Installer must request an inspection when all grading is complete.
This includes loam and seeding of the septic areas. The installer does not have to be
on site. Note that the Final Grade inspection cannot be completed when the system
is covered in snow. If the homeowner does not want seeding to be placed on top of
the septic system at the time of final grade inspection, they may submit in writing
their wishes to waive this requirement.
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Almost There!
Once the inspection process is complete, a Certification of Installation Form
needs to be submitted, signed and dated by the engineer or sanitarian, and
the installer. This document certifies that the installation.was completed per the
plan and regulations.
In addition, an As-Built Plan, which is the final plan of the septic system, must be
submitted with the certification form.
Once the above items are received, a Certificate of Compliance is issued by the
Health Department to the property owner.
The process is now complete. We appreciate your understanding of the time and
various processes involved. At the end,we hope you will agree that the Town of
North Andover, you as a resident, and out mutual environment are all being bettered
by you undertaldng the above steps. 'If you have any questions about these matters
please do not hesitate to contact the health department at 978-688-9540 or
healtl-idcpt@townofnor.tliandover.coin.
June 2015