While there were plenty of attendees at the Water and Sewer Commissions meeting Nov. 28, one thing was in short supply—technical information.
At issue is the need to relocate the Hildreth Elementary School septic tank, which lies on the southern boundary of the new elementary school building site. The tank must be moved before underground utility work for the new school can begin in the spring. But according to the commission, that tank is an integral part of the town’s sewer system and cannot be removed or relocated without the commission’s approval, as well as that of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Unfortunately, the drawings that show how the tank ties into the town system are nowhere to be found. Absent those drawings, designers will need to rely on information from the current engineering firm in charge of the wastewater plant, Tighe & Bond, to determine how that tank plays a part in the town system, how they can relocate it, and how they can tie the new elementary school sewage system into the existing system without having a negative effect on it.
The Sewer Commission notified the School Building Committee in writing in September that it would need approval to remove or relocate the tank, but the Nov. 28 meeting was the first time that members of the design team met with the commission to discuss the issue. Seven members of the team attended the meeting, including civil engineer Matt Brassard of Nitsch Engineering, who brought a copy of the town sewer system drawings from 2009. But Town Administrator Tim Bragan told Brassard that the 2009 design had been rejected by the DEP, and a new design was done in 2011 by engineering firm Norfolk Ram. He added that the town is not in possession of those newer “as built” drawings, and although Norfolk Ram may still have them, the drawings may be difficult to get because the town has been in litigation with the firm since 2012. Bragan told Brassard that engineers at Tighe & Bond have a good understanding of how the system works, and they may be able to provide enough information to move forward with the design.
A January deadline
Project Manager Tom Murphy told the group that the design needs to be finalized by the time the early construction package goes out to bid, likely in January. Sewer Commission Chair Cindy Russo cautioned that it could take time to get DEP approval, but Murphy said the DEP permit would not be necessary until construction begins, currently scheduled for April. Murphy is also anxious to resolve the design because its unknown scope presents a risk to the budget.
The work to relocate the tank is currently being carried as a $70,000 item in the latest project estimates. Russo told the design team that any consulting time spent with Tighe & Bond should be billed to the school project and not to the town.
The Water and Sewer Commissions invited the design team to the next meeting Dec. 19, and commissioners made it clear that the team’s objective should be to design the new school’s sanitary waste system and relocate the septic tank in such a way that it will have no detrimental effect on the existing town sewer system.
