PFAS tests prompt urgent filtration plan at Columbia school, officials say

Town and school officials told the Columbia Zoning Board of Appeals that PFAS testing prompted the request to site a filtration shed on the school campus. Officials said this was the first time the town had tested for PFAS and that the results were alarming in several municipal buildings, creating an urgency to install filtration before the school year begins.

A presenter summarized the testing timeline and regulatory context: the state mandate for PFAS testing is expected to take effect in 2027, but the town began testing early and performed the required two tests across a six- to seven-month span to meet sampling protocols. A school official told the board, "the very 1st time that we have tested for PFAS, and it came back, with those results." At the hearing, one nearby resident countered that his private well "passed," indicating variation in local test outcomes.

Board members asked about alternatives such as drilling new wells or relocating the system; presenters responded that moving the system would require major excavation, potential septic conflicts and lengthy approvals, and that the existing 6,000-gallon reserve tank and vault make proximity to the tank operationally necessary. The board accepted the town’s hardship explanation as part of its motion approving the variance, while the transcript shows remaining steps: EHHD review, building permits, and public posting with a 15-day appeal window.