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Resident urges district to verify backflow preventers, water refill stations before school starts
Summary
A public commenter with plumbing expertise told the committee the district must ensure backflow-prevention devices are installed, permitted and tested and asked that water fountains and refill stations be inspected and documented before students return.
At public participation on Aug. 11, resident and master plumber John Drew urged Methuen school officials to confirm that all required backflow-prevention devices are installed, permitted and tested districtwide and to provide documentation for water-refill-station maintenance before the start of school.
Drew described backflow preventers and how loss of pressure can allow contaminated water to flow into potable systems, and he said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection requirements and local board-of-health registration and semiannual testing schedules must be followed. He told the committee that many backflow devices “weren’t installed until recently” and that permits and registrations were necessary to ensure inspections and accountability.
Drew asked whether refill stations and drinking fountains were functioning in every school, how frequently filters are replaced and whether the district will test water quality “before school opens in 2½ weeks.” He said work on devices must be done by licensed plumbers, with permits pulled and inspections recorded.
District staff responded in the meeting that Tenney and Timoney backflow preventers “have completely been installed by our plumber” and that High School, CGS, Marsh and Branch Street installations were work in progress with parts ordered. The district said hoses that could be problematic were disconnected until valves arrive. The mayor said the city would waive permit fees for school projects to remove that barrier to timely work.
Why it matters: Backflow prevention, permitting, and water quality testing are regulated public-health measures. The public comment underscored parental concern and asked for transparency and documentation about routine building-systems compliance ahead of school opening.
What’s next: The district said installations are underway and that the city’s plumbing inspectors and health department are involved; staff offered to provide further updates at upcoming meetings.
