Eastham Board of Health Approves Four Septic Upgrades on Environmentally Sensitive Lots

EASTHAM — May 28, 2026 — Eastham Board of Health unanimously approved four Title 5 septic upgrades and opened the 2026 beach sampling season at its May 28 meeting. All four properties — at 65 Harms Way, 20 Bridge Road, 1055 Bridge Road, and 1205 Herring Brook Road — had systems in confirmed failure on environmentally sensitive lots bordering coastal resources, wetlands, or riverfront zones, requiring innovative alternative treatment units as a condition of approval. Engineer John O'Reilly, representing the Garritys at 65 Harms Way, described the site as "sandwiched between Cape Cod Bay and a rather large salt marsh" and noted the Conservation Commission had already issued an order of conditions. Engineer Rick Grady's 20 Bridge Road plan combined flow from a main house and a rear cottage through a 221-foot force main, with property owner Paula Patrica confirming on the record her intent to connect to municipal water — added as a formal condition. The board also cut effluent sampling at 15 Benaya Road from four times to twice yearly, settling on a May-and-November schedule after rejecting a May-and-September proposal as too narrow a seasonal range.