Groveland Board of Health Approves ADU Deed Restriction, Septic Variances at July Meeting

GROVELAND -- July 15, 2026, Groveland Board of Health approves deed restriction and septic variances while flagging state silence during massive sewage spill. At its July 15 meeting, the board unanimously approved a deed restriction capping a residential property at two bedrooms, clearing the way for an accessory dwelling unit to be added to a detached garage; the restriction will be recorded at the Registry of Deeds and a Certificate of Compliance issued after a 500-gallon septic chamber is installed. The board also unanimously granted two variances to NC Homes LLC for a Cranton Avenue septic replacement: a reduction in the required wetland setback from 100 feet to roughly 61 to 64 feet under local upgrade approval rules, and a one-foot reduction in groundwater separation from four to three feet. In her health agent report, the agent described a catastrophic 42-inch force main rupture that discharged an estimated 12.5 million gallons per day of raw sewage into a nearby river from approximately June 26 to July 8, prompting beach closures as far downstream as Swanscott and Cape Ann; a temporary 24-inch bypass has stopped the active leak, but the permanent repair is not complete. "DPH, MIMA, Homeland Security, none of them," the agent said of the state and federal response. "Crickets."