By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Concern over the source of periodic sewer odors noted by residents of the Martins Landing 55+ condominium complex in mid-September has resulted in various corrective actions being undertaken following several meetings and site visits with local and state officials.
One such site visit on Monday, Oct. 20, as a follow up on matters raised during the Thursday, Oct. 16 Board of Health meeting and subsequent site visits that weekend by the town’s Health Director Bob Bracey and Board of Health Chair Gary Hunt, resulted in an impromptu meeting with about 150 Martins Landing residents in the community room.
Permitting for the onsite wastewater treatment plant at the complex rests with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) because the site generates more than 10,000 gallons per day, according to Bracey, which limits local oversight from his office and the town’s Board of Health. However, Bracey emphasized in a phone conversation with the Transcript on Monday that all parties are working together cooperatively to rectify the issues on behalf of the residents. The complex will have 504 units upon build-out.
The parties include Small Water Systems Services, Inc. (SWSS), which operates the system on behalf of the Martins Landing Condominium Trust; Pulte Homes of New England, the site contractor; the Dartmouth Group, property managers for the complex; the Northeast regional office of MassDEP, the North Reading Board of Health and the North Reading Health Director.
Additionally, Bracey said the Health Department has contracted with an independent third party engineer to review the odor issue as this is an area that falls under the purview of a local Board of Health per state regulations with regard to “nuisances” that could affect public health and empowers a Board of Health to seek abatement remedies, and cost reimbursement and/or impose fines, if necessary.
RESPONSE FROM PULTE HOMES
In a letter dated Oct. 22 to the residents of Martins Landing and various local and state officials, Mark Mastroianni, VP Land Planning and Entitlement for Pulte Homes of New England, provided the following update:
MARTINS LANDING WWTP ODOR
Pulte management acknowledges your concerns about odor levels emanating from the WWTP and agrees that the current situation is not acceptable to you, the residents at Martins Landing.
To address this, Pulte is working and has committed to work with the North Reading Health Department / Board of Health to:
• Engage a third-party independent consultant to evaluate the existing WWTP odor mitigation systems and recommend both immediate short-term and long-term odor mitigation improvements; and
• Implement short-term actions to minimize odors right away, while also planning for long-term odor mitigation solutions.
Updates on progress of these mitigation efforts will be shared as this review moves forward.
MARTINS LANDING WWTP TANK REPAIRS
As communicated on October 10, 2025, Pulte has scheduled the repairs of the steel wastewater treatment tank that has experienced corrosion to begin on October 27. This work is expected to take approximately four weeks, with completion anticipated by the beginning of the last week of November. Once the repairs are complete, the WWTP will be placed back into normal operation.
As previously discussed, Pulte is making the repairs at Pulte’s full expense with no cost to Martins Landing Condominium and includes a five-year warranty from the contractor. While the warranty provides peace of mind, the expectation is that the repair will last well beyond five years.
There will be no interruptions to sewer service during the repair period. However, daily pumping of the system will be required, which may result in temporary odor, noise, and inconvenience. I sincerely apologize for this and we will do our best to minimize the impact.
As previously discussed, additional concrete tank repairs are still needed. Unfortunately, these repairs could not be scheduled concurrently with the steel tank repairs. Nevertheless, Pulte remains committed to completing the concrete repair work at Pulte’s full expense with no cost to Martins Landing Condominium. I will provide further updates once the timing for the work is confirmed.
Pulte management and I understand that this situation is far from ideal. I appreciate your patience and understanding as Pulte works to complete the necessary repairs and further mitigate the odor conditions at Martins Landing.
FOLLOW-UP WITH MASSDEP
Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto has informed the Transcript that as of Tuesday, Oct. 28, following an inquiry he made to MassDEP regarding the Notice of Noncompliance (NON) issued on Oct. 24 to Martins Landing that per MassDEP there are “no significant violations at this time.”
Kirsten L. Divris, the deputy regional director of MassDEP’s Bureau of Water Resources for the Northeast region, further clarified for Gilleberto that MassDEP “does not issue notices of compliance for any facility.” But Divris also stated that MassDEP: “acknowledges that there are no significant violations at this time and the facility’s most recent data show that it is currently fully compliant in meeting effluent limits. In addition, MassDEP recognizes that the redundant UV system is now operational, and the permit will proceed with complete replacement of that redundant UV system by the end of November 2025 (note that the redundant UV system has not impacted the facility’s ability to properly treat wastewater). MassDEP also anticipates delivery and installation of the media for the odor control system this week and will continue to monitor this facility closely to ensure its efficacy.”
Divris was referencing the Oct. 24 NON that was issued to SWSS following a site visit on Oct. 3, 2025 to the Martins Landing Wastewater Treatment Facility in which it was noted that “one ultraviolet (UV) disinfection unit at the facility was offline and in need of repair, in violation of 314 CMR 12.04(9) requiring proper maintenance and operation of treatment works. MassDEP previously observed the same issue on August 25, 2022 and September 16, 2024.”
This NON directed SWSS, within seven calendar days, to submit a plan and schedule of repair or replacement of the UV unit to MassDEP and to complete the repair or replacement of the UV unit within 30 days of the date of notice.
SWSS responded to MassDEP that the UV unit referenced was restored the day the notice was received, on Oct. 24. “The unit will be fully functional for disinfection; however, the hour meter and bulb indicator lights will remain inoperative until replacement components are obtained,” SWSS stated in its response.
The schedule for the corrective action by SWSS sent to MassDEP was to confirm part availability and delivery schedule by Nov. 3; schedule installation or replacement by Nov. 10, and complete installation and confirm full UV functionality by Nov. 23. During the interim, SWSS also committed to “continue daily record keeping to verify effective disinfection and ensure the system remains in compliance.”