Groveland Board of Health Approves Dwinell Street Septic Variance, Eyes Agent Hire

GROVELAND -- April 16, 2026, Groveland Board of Health approves a septic variance and interviews its last remaining health agent candidate, with no hire decision reached. The board unanimously granted a one-foot variance from the state Title V four-foot groundwater separation requirement for a proposed septic upgrade at 15 Dwinell Street, a five-bedroom home in a Zone 2 wellhead protection area; engineer Jim Scanlon reported buoyancy factors of safety of 1.87 and 2.15 for the two buried tanks, both above the 1.2 minimum. The board then met with its sole remaining candidate for the vacant health agent position, a Registered Sanitarian with an MPH and MBA whose background spans Boston MedFlight EMS, CDC pandemic work, and a regional public health coordinator role in Hamilton and Wenham. Board members flagged a central obstacle: the candidate lacks Title V septic inspection and soil evaluation credentials, which make up the bulk of the job, and the town loses its contractor-coverage funding the moment it fills the vacancy. The candidate said he had already mailed a $100 challenge application for state Septic System Inspector licensure and intended to shadow experienced practitioners, but acknowledged the soil evaluator course he needs is not available until fall.