Two Newtown Schools Are Receiving Water Treatment Systems

By Tanjua Damon

Two Newtown schools have been battling water difficulties recently, but both water systems are getting special treatment so that they will be ready or nearly ready for the start of school on Tuesday, August 28.

Tests revealed last October that Middle Gate School had high levels of uranium in its water supply. In response, the school community drank bottled water for the remainder of the school year. The first test last October showed water at Middle Gate to have 211 pCi/L. A second sample was taken on December 27, 2000. The results show that although the levels were down, to 139.33 pCi/l, they were still well above the EPA guidelines of 30 pCi/L.

Newtown Public Schools building and grounds supervisor Dominic Posca reported that permission from the State Department of Health has been received to use a unit made by Lowry Engineering to remove the uranium from the water. The system has been installed, but Mr Posca is still waiting for the license from the Department of Environmental Protection. He is hoping it will be provided before the start of school so the Middle Gate School community will be able to use the water.

The purification unit made by Lowry Engineering of Blue Hill, a Maine firm, costs $6,400, according to Mr Posca. The use of K-Life in the system should not cost more than $300 each year.

School officials are also getting the lead and copper found in the water supply at Newtown High School under control. The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health recently issued permission for the district to put a corrosion control treatment system that will neutralize the water and take out the lead and copper. The calcite filter will hopefully be in place a few weeks after school begins. The high school will be provided with bottled water until the system is up and running.

In July, the state recommended that the high school use bottled water, according to Mr Posca. The two wells used at the high school are not that deep. One is a 42-foot well that provides 42 gallons of water a minute, while the second is 62 feet deep and provides 22 gallons a minute.

The filter will cost just over $31,000 to install. The district hopes to be able to hook up to the town water lines in the future.

Newtown tests all the wells throughout the district every three months to check for any inconsistencies or problems, according to Mr Posca.