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DISTANCE REGULATIONS FOR SUBSURFACE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS

In accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter III, Section 31, the Haverhill Board of Health, at its regular monthly meeting on November 24, 1987 promulgated and adopted an amendment to 310 CMR 15.03 (7) of the State Environmental Code, Title 5: Minimum Standards for the Subsurface Disposal of Sanitary Sewage.

15:03 (7) Distances (1) (2) No disposal facility shall be closer than the distances stated to the components listed in the following table. The distance shall be increased where required by conditions peculiar to a location.

Component	Septic Tank (feet)	Leaching Facility (feet)	Building Sewer (feet)	Privy (feet)
Well or Suction line	50	100 (1)	(3)	100 (1)
Water Supply line (Pressure)	(4)	(4)	(3)	(4)
Property line	10	10	--	30
Cellar wall or inground swimming pool	10	20	--	30
Surface water supplies (reservoirs)	500 (2) (5)	500 (2) (5)
*Tributaries and watercourses to reservoirs including open and subsurface drains 500 ft. from surface water supplies (reservoirs)	200 (2) (5)	200 (2) (5)
Subsurface Drains	25	25	--	25
Leaching catch basin or dry well	--	25	--	--
Downhill slope - measured from the top of the leaching facility	150 times the slope (expressed as a fraction) (see illustration A in 310 CMR 15.11, Illustration B in 310 CMR 15.14, and Illustration C in CMR 15.15)

(1) 100 feet is a minimum acceptable distance and no variance shall be granted for a lesser distance except with prior written approval of the Department of Environmental Quality Engineering.

(2) All distances shall be measured from the average of the mean annual flood elevation in inland areas and from Mean High Water in coastal areas.

(3) 10 feet if constructed of durable corrosive resistant material with watertight joints, or 50 feet if any other type of pipe is used.

(4) It is suggested that the disposal facilities be installed at least 10 feet from, and 18 inches below water supply lines. Wherever sewer lines must cross water supply lines, both pipes shall be constructed of class 150 pressure pipe and should be pressure tested to assure watertightness.

(5) The applicant should be aware of his obligation to comply with the requirement of the Wetlands Protection Act, G.L. c. 131, s. 40.

*Tributaries: A tributary is defined as a stream that runs at least six (6) months of the year into a larger stream or other body of water.