Milville Elementary water testing failures prompt committee to seek town coordination

Facilities staff reported persistent water-quality test failures at Milville Elementary and summarized next steps the district is pursuing, including participation in an exploratory study with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and continued interaction with MassDEP and town officials.

Scott, the district facilities representative, told the committee that "test results failed once again for the um haa5 and the thms," reporting new concerns about the school’s filtration system and recent engineering recommendations to study the problem further before committing to a corrective-action plan. He said the green-sand filters may be oversized for current flow and that an onsite research visit would inform next steps.

Committee members expressed concern about the delay that further study could cause for remediation and asked for better timelines to inform the budget process. One member noted that bulk-water purchases or connecting to an alternate supply had been discussed but that MassDEP approvals and reimbursement rules complicate temporary solutions. The committee agreed to invite Blackstone selectmen (and, if needed, Millville selectmen) to the Dec. 14 meeting to coordinate on water testing, potential temporary measures, grant opportunities and budget impacts.

The committee emphasized that the district remains committed to returning students to Milville when it is safe and that budgeting decisions will proceed in good faith while acknowledging uncertainties tied to town decisions and state approvals. No final remediation decision was recorded in the public portion of the meeting; committee members asked staff to continue outreach to town administrators and to report back to the committee before the January budget presentations.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff will continue to pursue the proposed EPA research partnership (pending state approval), the facilities office will provide cost estimates for potential interim measures, and the committee will host town officials on Dec. 14 to clarify timelines and funding responsibilities.