The owner or other person or persons having control of any existing building or buildings hereafter erected or converted into a dwelling to be occupied by one or more families, and from which a public sewer is accessible, shall, in a manner and within a period of time satisfactory to the Board of Health, cause such building to be connected with such public sewer.
The owner or other person or persons having control of any existing building or buildings hereafter erected or converted into one or more stores or other places of business, and in which one or more persons are employed, shall provide sufficient toilet facilities, and wherever a public sewer is accessible, shall, in a manner and within a period of time satisfactory to the Board of Health, cause such stores or other places of business to be connected with such public sewer.
No cesspool, septic tank, or other means of sewage disposal shall hereafter be constructed or installed in this Town until a permit has first been obtained from the Board of Health.
No building permit for a dwelling house shall be issued until the Board of Health has approved the proposed lot as suitable from a sanitary point of view for human habitation. No building permit for a dwelling house shall be issued on an unsewered street until a permit for a sewage disposal installation has been obtained from the Board of Health.
All disposal works hereafter constructed or installed shall be of approved material and, unless otherwise specified by the Board of Health, shall be located not less than 20 feet from any dwelling, not less than 50 feet from any stream, and not less than five feet from the line of any street, court or passageway, and not less than five feet from the line of adjoining lots; all measurements being taken from the nearest portion of the sewage disposal works. Cesspools six feet by six feet by nine feet minimum shall be provided with a suitable removable metal cover of precast cement or built in place.
The owner, person or agent responsible for the construction of local sewage disposal works shall have such construction inspected by the Board of Health or its agent before such construction is covered, and such covering shall thereafter be applied in a manner approved by the Board of Health.
No indoor toilet or water closet, except that which is provided with proper means of flushing with water at time of using, where water is available, shall be hereafter installed on any premises in this Town. Where water is not available for flushing, it may be installed under special permit of the Board of Health, if proper provision is made for the final disposal of the contents thereof.
Every owner, occupant, or agent of premises in which there is any private sewer, drain septic tank, or cesspool shall keep the same in a sanitary condition and shall have every septic tank and cesspool emptied and cleaned when necessary or at such times as ordered by the Board of Health. No privy vault, septic tank or cesspool shall be emptied except by such parties and in such manner as shall be especially authorized by the Board of Health. If the owner or occupant fails to comply with such order, the Board may cause the nuisance, source of filth, or cause of sickness to be removed, and all expenses incurred thereby shall be paid by the person who caused or permitted same, if he has had actual notice from the Board of Health of the existence thereof.
All septic tanks hereafter constructed or installed shall have an effective capacity of at least 1,000 gallons and shall be constructed of precast cement or built in place of approved material. Each leaching drain shall have 400 square feet of drainage minimum and have three feet below and one above of tailings; covered with one thickness of tar paper; tested before filled.
A. 
Defined. Local sewage disposal works consist of a house sewer and a cesspool or a septic tank with leaching or seepage works. The building or house sewer begins at the point where the connection nearest the house wall is made to the main drain and extends to the disposal works. The house drain must be constructed of bell and spigot pipe, the minimum size being four inches if cast iron is used or six inches if any other material such as tile pipe is used.
B. 
House sewer. Beginning at a point approximately five feet from the inner wall, a minimum grade of 1% must be provided for the house sewer. A grade of 1/4 inch to one inch should be provided where feasible. Immediately preceding the septic tank or cesspool, the grade of the house sewer must not exceed 2% for the final 10 feet. Wherever the house sewer passes within 50 feet of any well or other source of water supply, cast iron pipe with properly caulked lead joints is required. The same type of installation is required where earth covering the pipe is less than three feet under roadways or wherever traffic is permitted.
C. 
Septic tanks. Septic tanks shall be rectangular, except precast which may be round or oval in shape with the length two times to three times the width. A water depth of four feet to six feet shall be provided in the septic tank with a free board fair space of six inches to nine inches. The tank shall be watertight and made of material which is not subject to excessive corrosion or decay such as brick or concrete. No steel or iron tanks are permitted.
D. 
Inlet and outlet connections. Inlet and outlet connections in the septic tank must be constructed of cast iron sanitary tees and short sections of pipe. The inlet must extend 10 inches below the flow level in the tank. The outlet must extend downward 15 inches below the flow level vents on the sanitary tees must extend six inches above the flow level. The use of baffles in a septic tank is not necessary.
E. 
Manholes. A manhole must be provided at the inlet end of the septic tank. If possible, a second manhole should be provided at the outlet end of the tank. The manholes should be located over the inlet and outlet tees to facilitate cleaning of the tank and the tees. Where the top of the tank is located more than 18 inches below the ground surface, the manhole or manholes should be built up to within 12 inches of the ground surface.
A. 
Minimum capacities for septic tanks shall be determined from the following table:
Minimum Capacities for Septic Tanks
Number of Bedrooms
Number of Persons Served
Total Volume of Tank
(gallons)
Approximate Liquid Capacity of Tank
(cubic feet*)
5 or fewer
10 or fewer
1,000
160
6
12
1,100
180
7
14
1,300
210
8
16
1,500
240
12
24
2,000
320
* Total volume in cubic feet includes air space above liquid.
B. 
The number of persons to be served by the disposal system should be estimated on the basis that two persons will occupy each bedroom in the proposed dwelling (Fig. 1).
A. 
In subsurface disposal fields, the lateral pipe lines should follow the general contours of the ground. The disposal trench or trenches shall be at least 18 inches wide with a minimum of 24 inches of earth covering above the crown of the pipes.
(1) 
Pipes must be laid on a thirty-six-inch layer of washed gravel or tailings.
(2) 
The pipes shall be surrounded by similar material to a height of one foot above the crown of the pipe.
(3) 
Field lines must be constructed with bell and spigot pipe at least four inches in diameter and laid with open points in the trench.
(4) 
Before backfilling the trench, one thickness of construction paper should be placed over the course gravel or stone, to prevent clogging of leaching field.
B. 
Absorptive qualities of soil. The necessary length of the disposal field trench or trenches can be determined by a percolation test. This test determines the absorptive qualities of the soil and is conducted as follows:
(1) 
Test procedure.
(a) 
At the site of the proposed disposal trench or trenches, excavate a hole one foot square to the depth of the proposed trenches, six feet to eight feet deep.
(b) 
Without disturbing the earth surfaces in the hold, thoroughly moisten the hole before conducting the test.
(c) 
Pour water gently into the excavated hole to a depth of 10 inches to 12 inches. Pouring the water over a board or piece of metal supported on rocks will avoid disturbing the earth bottom of the hole.
(d) 
Observe the time required for the water level to fall one inch.
(e) 
Where the disposal area is extensive, several separate tests should be made.
(2) 
With the time result obtained from the tests, the length of the four-inch pipe in the disposal field may be determined from the table shown below. The following table is based on average conditions.
Time Required for Water Level to Fall One Inch
(minutes)
Length of Four-Inch Bell and Spigot Pipe Required on the Disposal Field with Average Sewage Flow, Assuming 50 Gallons Per Person Per Day
(feet per person)
1/2 or less
8
1
12
2
17
3
20
4
24
5
27
10
35
30
60
(3) 
Test reliability. This test is not reliable when run on frozen ground. The soil cannot be considered acceptable for subsurface disposal if 60 minutes or more are required for the water level to fall one inch. Where the ground water level is high, the soil cannot be considered acceptable for sewage disposal fields and sewage disposal works must be designed by a competent engineer.
A. 
If leaching cesspools are to be provided instead of a septic tank and drainage field, the leaching surface area for cesspools must be based on percolation tests made as described previously. However, the test pit must be dug as deep as the bottom of the proposed cesspool. The following table gives the leaching area required in square feet, based on the percolation tests:
Time Required for Water Level to Fall One Inch
(minutes)
Effective Leaching Area Required
(square feet per person)
1/2 or less
12
1
18
2
26
3
30
4
36
5
41
10
53
30
90
B. 
The cesspool pit should not extend into the water table. The use of a cesspool should be prohibited in areas where the ground water level is above the bottom of the proposed cesspool. The use of an abandoned well as a cesspool must be prohibited in areas where other wells are used as water supplies.
C. 
Cesspool leaching areas.
(1) 
The leaching areas of cesspools of different diameters may be determined from the following table:
Diameter
(feet)
Leaching Area per Foot of Effective Depth
(square feet)
3
9.3
4
12.6
5
15.7
6
18.8
8
25.1
10
31.4
(2) 
The portion of the cesspool above the bottom of the inlet pipe should be omitted in determining the effective depth. The inlet to the cesspool must be 18 inches or more below the ground surface (Fig. 2). Leaching trenches shall be a minimum of 400 square feet.
D. 
Multiple cesspools.
(1) 
Main cesspools must be provided with a suitable manhole or removable cover of iron or concrete to give access for cleaning when required.
(2) 
The above section is superseded by the State Sanitary Code, MGL c. 111, § 5, except where the Town code is more restrictive or where no provision is made by the State Sanitary Code.
The Board of Health of the Town of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, has adopted Article XI of the State Sanitary Code of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Health, as amended on August 15, 1966, as its regulation establishing the minimum requirements for the disposal of sanitary sewage in unsewered areas. Article XI has been adopted in total and verbatim except for the following modifications:
A. 
Part I, Regulation 2.11, Volume of Sanitary Sewage, is modified to read:
Volume of Sanitary Sewage. No cooling water, groundwater, discharge of roof drains or other uncontaminated water shall be discharged to the sanitary sewage disposal system.
Each unit of the disposal system shall be designed to treat adequately the estimated ultimate volume of sanitary sewage to be discharged from the premises to be served. The volume of such flow shall be based on the estimated maximum contributory population and the resultant expected daily quantities of sewage as determined from the following table:
Sewage Flow Estimates*
Type of Establishment
Per Person Per Day
Single and multiple residence (2 persons per bedroom)
75
Apartment (2 persons per bedroom)
75
Cottage (2 persons per bedroom)
75
Rooming house
40
Motel or boardinghouse
50
* Sewage flow estimates other than those listed will be considered in relation to actual meter readings of established flows from known or similar installations. Remaining sewage flow estimates correspond to Part I, Regulation 2.11, in Article XI of the State Sanitary Code.
B. 
Part 1, Regulation 3.2, Distances, is modified to read:
Distances. The location of the disposal facilities shall be such as to provide between it and the components listed in the following table not less than the distances stated:
Component
Septic Tank
(feet)
Leaching Field Seepage Pit and Cesspool
(feet)
Building Sewer
(feet)
Well or suction line
75
125
(a)
Water supply line
(b)
(b)
(b)
Property line
20
20
—
Dwelling
20
20
—
Surface water supplies (reservoirs) tributaries to reservoirs, including open and subsurface drains
125
125
125
Watercourses, including streams, ponds, open and subsurface drains
75
75
—
Edge of fill 1:10
—
75
—
Downhill slope steeper than 1 vertical to 3 horizontal
—
100
—
Note: No privies will be allowed.
(a)
Ten feet if constructed of durable corrosion-resistant material with watertight joints laid in Class B bedding, or 50 feet if any other type of pipe is used.
(b)
It is suggested that disposal facilities be installed at least 10 feet from and 18 inches below water supply lines wherever sewer lines must cross water supply lines, both pipes shall be constructed of mechanical joint cast iron pipe and should be pressure tested to assure watertightness. One hundred twenty five feet is a minimum acceptable distance. The distance shall be increased where required by conditions peculiar to a location.
C. 
Part I, Regulation 5.1, Capacities, is modified to read:
Capacities. A septic tank shall have an effective liquid capacity of 150% of the average daily sewage flow estimated, but in no case less than 1,000 gallons. No septic tanks of greater than 20,000 gallons' capacity will be allowed, except with the specific approval of the Lynnfield Board of Health.
Note: F.H.A. minimum property standards and the Veterans Administration may require a higher minimum liquid capacity.
D. 
Part I, Regulation 7.2, Groundwater, is modified to read: Groundwater. Disposal field shall not be constructed in areas where the maximum groundwater elevation is less than four feet below the bottom of the disposal field. Groundwater determinations shall be made during the period of year when the groundwater table is at its highest elevation.
E. 
Part I, Regulation 10, Privies and Chemical Toilets, is stricken out in its entirety. Neither privies nor chemical toilets are allowed.
F. 
Part I, Regulation 14-1 (Percolation Test), General, is modified to read:
General. The suitability of the soil for sewage disposal purposes shall be determined from the results of tests conducted as described below, and from the type of underlying soil, maximum groundwater elevation, presence of ledge, drainage conditions, and other related data.
a.
At least one percolation test shall be performed at the site of each disposal area. More than one test will be required where the soil structure varies or where large disposal areas are required.
b.
Percolation tests as prescribed in this section shall be performed, at no expense to the Board of Health, by a registered professional engineer, registered sanitarian, or other person who, in the opinion of the Board of Health, is qualified to perform such tests. All percolation tests shall be performed in the presence of a representative of the Board of Health unless express, written permission has been obtained from the Board to conduct said test in the absence of said representative. The cost of labor and equipment necessary to dig test holes and the provision of water for the conduction of percolation tests shall not be at the expense of the Board of Health.
c.
Percolation tests shall not be made in test holes that have remained opened to the atmosphere for more than three days, nor shall they be made in frozen ground.
d.
Percolation tests shall not be made in filled ground unless the soil has been mechanically or hydraulically compacted or allowed to settle for a period of six months. Said mechanical or hydraulic compacting must be done in the presence of a representative of the Board of Health unless express written permission has been obtained from the Board to conduct such compacting in the absence of said representative.
e.
The minimum leaching area to be installed shall be determined from the following table, with the estimated daily sewage flow as determined in accordance with Regulation 2.10 of Article XI:
Leaching Area Requirements
Percolation Rate*
Minutes per Inch Drop
Square Feet per Gallon
2.0 or less
0.5
2.5
0.56
3.0
0.62
3.5
0.66
4.0
0.70
5.0
0.75
6.0
0.81
7.0
0.86
8.0
0.91
9.0
0.96
10.0
1.00
15.0
1.50
Over 15 minutes is unsuitable
The percolation test must be performed in accordance with the procedure outlined in Regulation 14.2 of Article XI.