Decommissioning Septic System

When connecting to the Town Sewer System, you must also decommission your septic system. The form will be supplied to you when you apply for the sewer connection.

Septic System Inspections

Title 5, the regulations that govern septic systems, requires that systems be inspected prior to the sale of any property. The code does allow for the waiver of that inspection if sewer construction is expected to be complete within 2 years of the property closing and an enforceable agreement to connect to sewer is instituted. Persons wishing to increase the flow of sewage from their property (adding bedrooms or other increases to use) are not eligible for a waiver; this does not apply to persons wishing to add a bathroom within the existing footprint of their building.

The enforceable agreement will be a two-page document signed by the Town, the seller, and the buyer, and it must be filed at the Registry of Deeds. That document will acknowledge that the inspection is being waived and that the buyer will be responsible for taking any action to prevent the septic system from backing up or overflowing and will require a sewer connection within 30 days of the sewer being available for use. A Sample Agreement (PDF) can be obtained from the Board of Health and from the website, but note that each agreement is tailored to the particular circumstances at each property. The final agreement will be generated by the Board of Health Office.

Note: While the Town, buyer, and seller may all agree to the inspection waiver, some lending institutions may not allow it; buyers should verify if their lender will agree to this waiver prior to having the Board of Health draft the document.