The RSU 52/MSAD 52 facilities team told the school board on Sept. 4 that construction is under way on a new wastewater treatment plant, Turner Primary School’s new well is producing about 15 gallons per minute and several summer facility projects — including roof replacements, gym floor work and HVAC upgrades — are complete or near completion.

Board members were given technical details about the water work and schedule and were told the district may defer a tank installation to get better pricing.

At the meeting, Director Dave (facilities) and committee members described progress at multiple campuses. Director Dave said the bio‑clear tanks for the wastewater project are in place and that the project is roughly 35%–40% complete. Alex (committee member) reported that the Turner well pump test produced 15 gallons per minute and that a 48‑hour test showed low iron and manganese levels, which could eliminate the need for treatment.

Board members heard that because the new well’s flow is substantially higher than the older well (which produced roughly 3–5 gpm), the district could delay installing a larger holding tank until spring to combine bids and lower costs. District staff described a proposed timeline: finalize tank design, put the tank out to bid, and, if bids and schedules align, perform the tank installation in spring to avoid a rushed late‑season job. Alex said the drinking water program review is expected to return a design review in about a month.

Facilities staff also reviewed completed work across schools: roof replacement and tapered insulation at LCS, gym wall pads and lighting at multiple schools, new elevator modernization components, electrical outlet upgrades in classrooms, LVT flooring and asbestos abatement at TMS, and gym and cafeteria floor refinishing. Staff said the district installed the last TES bottle‑filling station and replaced failing doors and some condensers and HVAC components at other sites.

Board members asked about irrigation and athletic‑field watering. Facilities staff said the irrigation system relies on an older pump and a 10,000‑gallon holding tank; they described recovery‑time limits (one zone uses roughly 1,600 gallons) and said upgrades or a different water source would be required to operate full irrigation during drought conditions.

The board did not take a formal vote on construction sequencing but directed staff to pursue a bid schedule that would permit delaying the tank installation until spring if doing so reduced costs and did not jeopardize compliance. Staff will return with final design timelines and cost estimates.

Looking ahead, officials said they will continue operator training and system commissioning for the wastewater plant and will monitor water chemistry and performance as the new well is connected to the campus distribution system.