Gardner Board of Health Approves River Road Septic Upgrade, Elects Vice Chair

GARDNER -- May 11, 2026, Gardner Board of Health approves Title V septic upgrade and elects its first vice chair in several meetings. The board voted unanimously Monday to grant a local upgrade approval for 350 River Road, allowing installation of a Presby advanced septic system with a three-foot groundwater separation, down from the standard five feet, to accommodate a narrow lot where the 1981-era system had been surcharging sewage back into the house. Engineer Chris Starr told the board the Presby system "gives you more treatment than a standard stone pipe" and projected a 30-to-40-year service life with regular maintenance. The board also unanimously elected Dr. Parker as vice chair, filling a position that had been deferred at multiple prior meetings. In departmental updates, staff flagged that the city's landfill pump project, declared operational May 6, has already identified underground wiring failures and a failed pressure test on a primary pipe in cell one, with a change order and additional funding request forthcoming. The annual Keep Gardner Beautiful Nip Hunt collected 37,600 bottles, and a tobacco violation hearing involving a second offense will be added to the June 22 agenda after the tobacco control officer was unable to attend Monday's meeting.