The Marion Board of Health on August 7 met at the Marion Police Station and had a long discussion on whether new or updated homes should be mandated to use the more expensive denitrification septic systems.
Board Chairman Albin Johnson III was adamant that residential septic systems do not contribute much, if anything, to polluting waterways. He estimated that 90% of pollution to town waterways or marine habitat is caused by stormwater runoff. He contended that the Board of Health adopted this new regulation during the Covid-19 shutdown and with insufficient public input on the matter.
The board asked health officials to compile data of how many municipalities statewide have adopted this regulation. Johnson said that the Marion’s regulation requiring the septic upgrade to denitrification technology for any new construction or footprint expansion puts an unnecessary burden on new homeowners without a sewer connection, especially without enough data to prove that the older Title V (state-compliant) septic systems are responsible for polluting waterways.
“It’s way overkill. It’s like a sledgehammer for a fly,” Johnson said of this regulation, which is in Section 4 of the Board of Health Regulations.
Health Board Vice Chairman Dr. Ed Hoffer said the board should consider seeking and applying for a grant for comprehensive data. To that, Johnson said the state should have compiled that data before urging Marion to adopt a regulation of this sort. He contended that per local regulations, septic systems only have to be 100 feet from drinking-water wells. Hoffer asserted that the regulation is in place to protect marine life. He said most forms of nitrogen are not toxic to people but are a problem for marine life.
To that, Johnson said that the waterways are filled with excrement from birds and marine animals. He said that there is not enough data that private septic systems are a problem. These new systems, according to Johnson, are more than septic systems, describing denitrification systems as a treatment plant on private property. These systems are inspected annually by health officials and costly to homeowners.
Johnson also used the word “swamp” to describe Marion’s landscape, adding that there is a large number of brooks and other streams that flow into the harbor, making it difficult to blame septic system run-offs for pollution. Johnson used Westport as an example, saying that there are many more septic systems in that community and few public sewer lines, but some officials there have claimed that water pollutants are mostly from dairy farms and fertilizers.
Westport has this regulation in place, but Johnson several times said it might be “overkill” for Marion, which has more public water and sewer-disposal systems.
Board of Health member Dr. John Howard agreed that more data should be compiled, leading to the board asking health officials to compile a database of how many communities statewide have this regulation.
In other Board of Health news, Health Director Lori Desmarais reported that the number of tick-borne illnesses is about the same as last year. She advised that the public should have a tick panel conducted by a physician if they have any symptoms such as lethargy or a fever.
Desmarais said there have been seven cases of mosquitoes with EEE found in the state this year, including four in Plymouth County (one in Bridgewater and three in Halifax). She advised that the public take precautions, especially during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
Desmarais said the Board of Health will be offering flu clinics in the fall and that anyone over the age of 65 is encouraged to get a Covid-19 vaccination.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, August 21 at 4:30 pm in the Marion Town House Annex, 14 Barnabas Road, due to construction at the Town House proper.
Marion Board of Health
By Jeffrey D. Wagner