Hubbardston health inspector urges board to align commercial water‑testing rules with state guidance

Members of the Town of Hubbardston Board of Health discussed a proposed update to local water‑system rules that would standardize testing of commercial systems to quarterly, consistent with state Department of Environmental Protection guidance.

The board’s health inspector told members that "any business that serves 25 people or more per day is considered, like, a commercial type business" and that the state materials the inspector reviewed recommend water testing "4 times a year or quarterly." The inspector said one local business currently pays about $600 a month for testing and has asked whether the town could adopt language that aligns local practice with the state baseline.

The inspector recommended drafting a brief amendment to the Board of Health regulations, publishing a 45‑day public notice in a newspaper and an e‑blast to town residents, and holding a public review before the board votes to adopt the change. The inspector also advised including an explicit exception so the town remains subject to any DEP directive requiring more frequent testing.

Board members emphasized they cannot adopt rules that are less stringent than state standards. A committee member asked whether the town is applying rules consistently across businesses; staff said practices currently vary—some businesses test monthly, some annually or biannually—prompting the recommendation to set a clear local baseline.

The board directed staff to draft the regulation language and bring it back for public notice and comment. If there are no substantive objections after the 45‑day comment period, the board will put the measure up for formal approval.