Shutesbury Board of Health Accepts Long-Anomalous Septic Pass at West Pelham Road

SHUTESBURY — May 20, 2026 — Shutesbury Board of Health accepts a passing septic inspection that overrides an 18-year-old failure record. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to accept a current Title V inspection at 305 West Pelham Road conducted by inspector Neil Jackson, despite a 2008 failure report in the board's database with no documented repair — a result Chair Kat called "anomalous" and said she did not want to accept without a full board vote. The board speculated that reduced household occupancy following a divorce and possible resumed pump-out maintenance may have allowed the system to recover. The board also voted 5-0 to issue a certificate of compliance for a completed septic repair at 53 West Pelham Road. In other business, members discussed compiling and distributing a resource list for undocumented residents seeking medical care, with proposed distribution through the school nurse, town nurse, the public library, and the Nextdoor platform, pending follow-up with Meg Chudron and the Center for New Americans in Amherst.