Date: Fri 23-Feb-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

school-expansion-septic

Full Text:

Septic Problem Complicates School Expansion Plan

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

School officials have hit a stumbling block in their drive to expand Newtown

High School - the school's septic system is apparently discharging

unacceptably high nitrate levels into area groundwater, requiring that the

town either install nitrate elimination equipment for the school septic system

or extend a sewer line to the school for wastewater disposal.

Warren Herzig, supervising sanitary engineer for the state Department of

Environmental Protection's (DEP) water quality compliance unit, said Wednesday

that water quality testing, which was done in conjunction with the school's

application for an expanded septic system to handle an expanded high school,

has found unacceptably high levels of nitrates in drinking water at residences

on Oakview Drive, a dirt road which runs along the western edge of the school

property.

Mr Herzig said regardless of whether the school expands, the town must correct

the problem with high nitrate levels. High nitrate levels pose health threats

to infants and pregnant women, he said.

On-site nitrate elimination equipment would cost "more than several hundred

thousand dollars," Mr Herzig said. It's unclear how much it would cost to

extend a sewer line to the high school. The town is building a $30.4 million

sewer system scheduled for completion by late 1997.

Consultants for the town will be developing alternate proposals to rectify the

nitrate problem to learn the comparative costs of on-site nitrate elimination

equipment versus a sewer line extension, Mr Herzig said.

The DEP has taken the position that without extensive, lengthy testing of the

nitrate problem, the town wouldn't be able to possibly prove that the high

school isn't a source of elevated nitrate levels in drinking water at some

Oakview Drive residences, according to Mark Copper, the town's health

director.

School officials, however, point out that the school is the vicinity of a

former landfill and septic waste lagoon which may be sources of elevated

nitrate levels in the Oakview Drive domestic water wells.

The state condemend the former town-owned landfill/lagoon when it built

Interstate-84 near the high school more than 25 years ago.

The former landfill/lagoon was in operation on a 14-acre parcel from at least

1955 to 1968. The site originated as a gravel pit about 60 feet deep which was

filled in with domestic, industrial and septic wastes.

In a February 15 letter to Mr Herzig, Mr Cooper writes, in part: "The school

administrators and town officials are concerned, but need to be assured that

if they undertake remedial action, at great expense to the taxpayers of

Newtown, that it will address the (nitrate) problem. A full discussion and

consideration of all available options will ensure the most appropriate and

efficacious action."

Mr Cooper said Wednesday the town will take water samples from all residences

on Oakview Drive next week to better gauge the nature and extent of the

nitrate problem.

Mr Cooper said there aren't nitrate problems in the school's drinking water.

P&Z Action

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) unanimously approved the site

development plan for the proposed high school expansion on February 15.

The P&Z approval of the $26.5-million expansion plan doesn't include an

approval for the septic system. Because the septic system will handle more

than 5,000 gallons of wastewater daily, its design and operation is regulated

by the DEP, not the town.

The septic system concerns will have to be worked out between the Board of

Education and the DEP, P&Z Chairman Stephen Adams told school officials at the

February 15 P&Z session.

P&Z members approved the site development plan with the provision that eight

parking "islands" depicted in an earlier version of the plan be deleted from

the project. The areas where islands had been planned will have traffic

reflectors erected on them.

The islands are lozenge-shaped areas of raised asphalt surrounded by curbing

which are used to define the boundaries between parking lots and driveways.

P&Z members decided to delete the islands as a compromise move to balance the

competing interests of traffic flow and snow removal at the high school.

School maintenance staffers consider the presence of such islands an

impediment to snow removal.

P&Z member Todd Richardson noted that the planners who designed the project

believe that all the islands should be built as a safety measure.

P&Z member Patricia Linnell said the high school expansion plans, even with

the eight traffic islands deleted, is "1,000 percent better" than what now

exists there.

The proposal to expand the high school will be subject to voters' action at an

upcoming referendum.