New Director – David Boyer has moved from the Central Regional office to the Boston office to take the position of Director of the NPDES/Groundwater and Title 5 programs. Dave’s extensive experience will be an asset in this new position and YOWA looks forward to working with him in the future.
New Guidance – The MassDEP is finalizing a guidance document to help local health officials implement the recent Massachusetts law that went into effect in February to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The Affordable Homes Act loosens zoning standards but still requires compliance with Title 5 for any new internal or stand-alone ADU. There are many complexities to implementing an application for a building permit for an ADU properly, with the key factor being whether the house is considered to be adding a bedroom either within or beyond the Approved Capacity of the onsite wastewater system. Additional factors which might also come into play will be nitrogen loading, whether the existing system was installed pre- or post-1995, if there is a single or two compartment tank, if the current system is a cesspool, and other aspects. DEP’s pending guidance document should be beneficial to applicants and regulators.
