Mount Morris authority seeks permission for test well on elementary property; board requests engineer presentation

Vincent Cordova, representing the Mount Morris Municipal Authority, asked the board to consider allowing a test well to be drilled on the district’s elementary school property as part of a plan to supply treated water to the school and address PFAS concerns affecting existing wells. Cordova said the existing supply well is above the state’s recommended PFAS limits and that treating the current well would be an $8–$9 million project with ongoing operational costs; the authority is exploring new wells as an alternative. He said the proposed drilled well would go below bedrock (more than 80 feet) and that, if successful, a finished well installation would include a 10‑inch casing about 18 inches above ground, fenced and set back in a tree line; annual state inspections would be required. Board members and staff asked for more technical detail and oversight: they requested a formal presentation with engineering input, answers to specific questions about hydrologic impact, insurance and liability, and verification that the test well would not harm the district’s existing water supply. Administrators said they lack information to approve drilling at this time and asked the authority to provide documentation and meet with district engineers; the board scheduled a fuller presentation when a quorum of members is present.