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Purchasing the house is a step toward what appears to be the most cost effective way to solve an unforeseen, expensive problem; Jordan-Small School's septic system is failing and needs replacement. The system is not backing up, so the school can remain open, but because of surface seepage the leach bed has been fenced off.

Engineer Les Berry, designer of the new elementary school's septic system, reported at the June 1 Selectmen's Meeting that nitrate concentrations in water coming from the leach bed are several times higher than acceptable levels. When school is in session, the leach bed is soggy but when Berry checked it after the three day Memorial Day weekend, it was normal. He says, "It is failing on an intermittent basis, but there's an odor there all the time, that's why I recommended fencing it off, as a precaution. During the summer, the site should not be a problem, but come fall, it will fail again." He adds that it doesn't appear that any wells in the area have been affected.

School Superintendent David Bois said, "We've had comments about strong odors for some time, and three years ago we had an issue where one of the chambers had been crushed. So, it's been a relatively unsatisfactory situation for some time." It was pointed out that an odor from tap water at the school and the town hall is due to sulfur content, not pollution.

Due to terrain and space limitations, fixing the current leach bed site is not a realistic option. When Berry asked the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) geologist "what can be done when you've got a site where nothing works at a school you can't shut down?" the reply was, "It never happens. I've never had a situation this bad." One possible solution is to put the leach bed where the ball field is, but the entire ball field would need to be elevated three to four feet to keep it playable, and that would mean hauling in about $100,000 worth of fill (in addition to an estimated $150,000 to install the system).

Another option is to install the leach bed on property owned by the town, across Route 85. An obstacle is that a private home blocks access to that site. The good news is that the house was recently put on the market.

When Town Manager Nathan Poore learned of the septic problem, he met with the school committee, then made an offer of $89,900 on the property in question. The house is not needed so Poore also approached the owners about buying only part of the property for a right of way, but he has doubts about the owners accepting that proposal.

The consensus at the June 1 meeting was that for about the same amount of money as using the ball field, the town could purchase a house giving it an asset and access from Route 85 to currently inaccessible town property as well as a leach bed. The house could then be sold while maintaining an easement for the septic line and a fifty foot right of way, and money from the sale returned to town coffers

Or the house could be put to use: Selectman Mike McClellan says the town's recreational and civic groups are desperate for a place to hold functions and he feels the house may have that potential.

The Board of Selectmen is considering the purchase of the house and the resolution of the septic problem as two separate issues because of the time factor, but they are clearly related. Berry says it will take weeks to get all test results for the new site, then he has to do a preliminary design, have it approved by a hydrogeologist, finish the design and put it out to bid. So, work may not actually begin until fall.

The Board of Selectmen, the Budget Committee and the School Committee all recommend purchase of the property with the $89,900 coming from the Municipal General Fund.

The Warrant for Town Meeting to be voted on June 10 will ask voters to authorize the town "to purchase a house and land located on Route 85 for the sum of $89,900 and to authorize the Selectmen to resell all or part of the property to give the selectmen discretion to determine in the best interests of the Town the details and terms of acquisition and resale of all or part of the property along with any property owned by the town on abutting property..."

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