Subdivision Information

From time to time, subdivisions are created within the District’s boundaries which may have frontage access to a sewer main or have the ability to extend a sewer main to provide service.

As the Commission constructs sewer mains, or oversees the construction of privately initiated sewer mains in public ways, typically all existing property lots will receive a sewer stub. 

For larger lots that may be subdivided in the future, the LSDC will generally provide a single connection and may provide additional connections stubs as frontage and zoning dictates.  These additional stubs are typically provided only where potential additional lots are not constrained, environmentally or otherwise, from future subdivisions

Availability of Connection Stub for New Frontage Lots
Although the LSDC makes every effort to ensure that the system is available for future expansion via subdivisions a connection stub will not always be available for future frontage lots once they are subdivided.  In those cases, the property owner is responsible for the  engineered design and construction of a connection stub in accordance with the LSDC’s Rules and Regulations.

Connection Fees
The LSDC’s Rules and Regulations specifies that any property that subdivides and connects to the sewer will be required to pay a sewer connection fee.  The fee is variable and depends on the nature of the subdivision.  For connections to an existing sewer the property will be required to pay a connection charge equal to the betterment fees paid by adjacent properties.  This fee does not apply to lots which have already paid betterments. This fee shall apply to all Approval Not Required lots subdivided after the initial assessment is imposed.

For example, an 8 acre lot on a street serviced by the LSDC sewer system is in between two 3 acre lots.  The 8 acre lot was assessed a $10,000 betterment as were both neighbors.  The 8 acre lot subdivides several years later into two 4 acre lots.  The original lot was assessed a betterment and will not to pay a connection fee.  However, the new lot was never assessed a betterment and must pay a connection fee of $10,000 when it connects.

These fees are assessed on a per “unit” method where a single unit is equal to a single family home.  If the newly created lot was established with the intent of building something other than a single family home then the fee would be assessed proportionally.  So, if in the above example a three unit town house was being built then the connection fee would be 3 times the original betterment, or $30,000.

Sewer Extension Fees
All other connections requiring an extension of the District’s sewer and requiring Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection approval shall be subject to a flat $5,000 per unit sewer extension fee.  This fee does not apply to unmodified properties in the subdivision which have previously been assessed betterments.  The sewer extension fee will be required if a property creates a new road and lots or if a sewer main is not otherwise available without extending the sewer. 

Other Costs and Considerations
All other costs associated with servicing a subdivision are borne by the property owner.  This includes permit fees, inspection fees, engineering and construction costs.  Additionally, because the connection of these lots will not replace a failed septic system these connections are subject to the MA DEP Administrative Consent Order which require either the purchase of sewer credits from the LSDC’s Sewer Bank or requires the proponent to perform Infiltration and Inflow corrections on the LSDC’s system a at 3:1 rate.  The issuance of sewer credits and the requirement to perform I&I work depends on the availability of credits and is at the discretion of the Commission.