Sherman Home Inspections, Inc. & MA Title 5 Septic Certifications
Why the need for Title 5? The purpose of Title 5, 310 CMR 15.000, of the State Environmental Code is to provide for the protection of public health and the environment by requiring the proper siting, construction, and maintenance of on-site sewage disposal systems. The septic tank is a buried, watertight container typically made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene. It holds the waste water long enough to allow solids to settle out (forming sludge) and oil and grease to float to the surface (as scum). It also allows partial decomposition of the solid materials. Compartments and/or a T-shaped outlet in the septic tank prevent the sludge and scum from leaving the tank and traveling into the drain field area. There are numerous types and styles of drain fields, based on soil composition of the site that will allow the effluent liquids to disperse safely into the soil. Places where drain fields are not possible tight tanks are employed.
The following three sections of information are taken, in part, from a pamphlet printed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, for public review.