Letter to the Editor: Drinking Water, Elementary School Project

Dear Editor,

I'm writing to you today and to the community-at-large in my capacity as Chair of the School Building Committee (SBC) to clarify some issues related to the proposed new elementary school on the Wheelock campus. Specifically, I am writing to address concerns over any potential impact a new school may have on our water resources. The SBC has addressed this issue in a number of meetings.

The Wheelock campus is located in the Aquifer and Well Protection Districts. The alternative site considered by the SBC, the current Dale Street location, is also in the Aquifer Protection district. This means that any construction in the district must comply with Federal, State and Town regulations governing construction in those districts. The state Department of Environmental Protection in conjunction with the US EPA have developed regulations, including a permitting review process, to ensure that any construction in such districts will not negatively impact drinking water or other water resources. The Town also has its own by-laws governing construction in the Aquifer and Well Protection Districts and construction of any municipal facility is allowed, as of right, if it designed to prevent groundwater contamination.

The SBC has taken these concerns seriously. As part of the process, the SBC and its advisors reviewed all applicable codes, rules, and regulations. We confirmed that the proposed school is fully permissible by our own by-laws intended to protect our water supply without any modifications.

Given the concerns several people have raised, I asked the Superintendent of the DPW, Maurice Goulet for his assessment of the issue. Mr. Goulet, in turn, requested a review and opinion from an independent 3rd party engineer who is an expert in groundwater resources and drinking water.

Environmental Partners, a local expert on water resources, reviewed the current site plan and design narratives produced by the design team, as well as all applicable town by-laws and issued a formal opinion noting that the project, as long as designed to current codes, "...does not appear to present any significant impacts to the Town's existing public water supply wellfield for Well No. 3 and No. 4."

Further detail on Environmental Partners review of the project can be found in their letter by following this link:

https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws...

The SBC recognizes that some residents disagree with ours and the Board of Selectmen's decision to site the project at the Wheelock location. I know that people in Town who care about our schools as much as we do can weigh the various advantages and disadvantages of each site differently and come to a different conclusion. But as with any issue of importance to the Town, our discussions and debates should be based on facts and the best evidence available. Any construction of a new school will comply with all applicable regulations for the protection of the town’s drinking water. I invite all residents to attend and participate in our ongoing meetings, and to raise whatever questions they have, as we approach a Special Town Meeting targeted for September when the Town will vote whether or not to fund the project proposed at the Wheelock Campus.

Best regards,

Michael Quinlan, Chair, Medfield School Building Committee