DES Says Septic Permits Are Needed to Release Wabanaki Administrative Order

Freedom—July 12, 2026—DES’s approval of a septic system for Wabanaki Campground 25 years ago appeared to resolve a legal tussle with then-owners Elmer and Janice Franson.

Months earlier, the State had issued an Administrative Order requiring the couple to shut down the business after it found 80 long-term campsites on the lake with no means of waste disposal.

Three septic systems were quickly designed and approved, two were built, and the campground was reopened.

Now, current owner and manager Mark Salvati says the old Administrative Order is still attached to the property title. Salvati asked DES to grant him a release, saying he believed “superseding approvals were obtained.”

DES replied that it was “unclear” whether all structures served by the septic systems had operational approval, as required. It said it would review the State’s files.

In the meantime, it asked Salvati to document that the campground was “developed as permitted by the subdivision approval,” and to confirm that all wastewater is currently being discharged into septic systems that have State operating approval.

Thus was established a new line of inquiry into Wabanaki’s septic systems. That inquiry has now resulted in a State list of apparent discrepancies between current operations and what DES authorized.

The State’s inquiry comes as the business is under local scrutiny for alleged environmental and zoning violations, including septic system anomalies.

In January, Salvati agreed to resolve the local issues and seek Planning Board approval. One septic system issue is on the town’s list of violations—the alleged overloading of Septic System #4, which primarily serves the hutnick cabins.

Other alleged septic system anomalies reported to the town have not been addressed by town officials. DES typically relies on town officials to act on complaints in accordance with local public health and zoning regulations.

But Salvati’s request for relief from the Administrative Order changed that protocol, thrusting DES into an unexpected compliance role in order to accommodate the property owner’s request.

Several weeks after Freedom flagged Septic System #4 as a town violation, DES compiled its own list of septic system discrepancies that are spread across multiple systems.

The agency said it could not locate an Approval for Operation for campsites 37, 38 and 11b,  or for the removal of site 42. It said sites 37 and 38 appeared to be connected to Septic System #1 without approval, and site 11b is shown to be impermissibly connected to Septic System #2, whose septic tank was “undersized for the flow that is now directed to it.”

The agency said it found differences between the State-approved effluent flows for the property’s structures, and information about those structures in Freedom’s public tax records.

Among the structures DES said were out of sync for effluent flow is the multi-bedroom Lodge building. Approved for four bedrooms in 2001, it has been variously shown in public documents as having six to ten bedrooms.

DES said Hutnicks #4 and #5 also appeared to have more bedrooms than authorized, which is consistent with the town’s findings. The agency said it was unable to locate subdivision approval or any septic system approval for a three-bedroom structure called “Grandma’s Cottage.”

DES said information that Salvati submitted to the State showed a septic tank in Septic System #3N was connected to two campsites and a bathhouse/laundry building. The agency said it could not locate an approval for the connection.

It added that no waiver approval could be found in its records for the septic tank to be located where it is, inside the protective well radius for the campground’s drinking water well.

In response to DES, Salvati asked if he had to submit a “full revised septic plan,” or whether a “one for one” explanation of the discrepancies was sufficient.

DES replied to say that changes to the septic system “require the preparation and submission of permit applications” by a licensed septic system designer, and may also require approvals from the Wetlands Bureau and Shoreland Program.

On June 18, Salvati submitted an “amended” septic system design and a “Preliminary Plot for Discussion,” but not permit applications. In an attached letter he listed proposed relocations of sites and connections, and stated how he recalculated effluent flows.

“Based on the above,” he wrote, “request is made to approve the attached plans and remove any violations.”

DES was asked during the preparation of this article whether the campground’s response was adequate. The agency reiterated that the Administrative Order will not be released “until all appropriate permitting has occurred.”

Freedom officials declined to comment for this story.