Committee presses canal owners to inspect walls before canal filling after concerns about water infiltration at Lowell High

Several committee members and attendees raised alarm that filling the nearby canal could put pressure on a granite wall that committee members say shows penetration and prior damage. Mayor Lee argued the city should not allow filling until canal owners inspect and repair the wall, saying the visible deficiencies risk damaging recently completed granite work at the school.

Kevin Kane (Skanska) and Kyle Osmek (Suffolk) told the committee that canal repair and the decision to fill the canal sit outside the school construction contract and are controlled by the canal/energy owners. The chair said the city will "reach out to our law department and see where we're at with their FERC licensing and see who's responsible for the repair, and we'll move forward from there," and that the city would likely ask owners to hold off before putting water in. The committee requested written follow-up and monitoring arrangements for any drainage tie-ins connected to the French drain system around Coburn Hall.