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."