School committee presses for timeline as Millville works on ESSENTIAL water fixes at elementary school

The Blackstone–Millville Regional School Committee on June 22 pressed for a firm timeline after Millville submitted a corrective action plan to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to install a permanganate filtration system at Millville Elementary School (MES).

Committee members said Millville’s plan lists a four-week installation timeline, but they remain skeptical about how quickly testing and approvals will follow. Chair (speaker identified in the record only as the meeting chair) said the committee expects the corrective action and DEP sign‑off to be completed before students return, calling the availability of potable water nonnegotiable for preschool and kindergarten classrooms.

Superintendent DeFalco said the joint board on the Millville side voted to reimburse the district up to $15,000 for bulk water; the committee discussed the administrative complication of paying for water up front and being reimbursed later. DeFalco recommended the district pay an invoice from the bulk-water vendor, Henshaw, and seek reimbursement, but urged a legal letter clarifying that such payments do not set precedent, and that routine water purchases would not become the district’s operating responsibility.

Committee members pressed for three concrete items: (1) a clear, dated timeline from Millville and MassDEP for approval and installation; (2) an attorney-to-attorney letter from the district to Millville and MassDEP spelling out that the committee’s payment is not precedent-setting; and (3) an operational testing plan to ensure the water is safe before returning students, including bacteria testing with a five-day laboratory turnaround.

“Permanganate will address disinfectant byproducts but it will not eliminate a bacteria problem,” DeFalco said. “We are not going to wait until someone is sick.”

Members discussed contingency options should the system not be ready: temporary relocation of preschool and kindergarten classrooms to the complex or other district facilities, bus logistics and the operational burden of relocating young children for an extended period. The committee recommended setting a decision checkpoint at its next public meeting on July 10; staff said that date should make the district’s next steps clear given the corrective-action timeline in the plan.

The committee also reported that Millville’s town counsel had reached out to the district’s attorney and that district officials will continue to coordinate with MassDEP and the water operator. No formal vote was taken on relocation; the committee said it will revisit the issue if Millville does not produce a definitive timeline by the July 10 meeting.

What’s next: The committee asked staff to request a definitive written timeline from Millville and MassDEP, have the district attorney prepare a nonprecedent letter addressing reimbursement and procurement responsibility, and return to the committee on July 10 with updates and any invoice-related decisions.