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Parents raise water-quality concerns at Hartford Sumner Elementary; district says well water is tested and lists plumbing repairs in capital plan
Summary
Parents at the RSU 10 budget hearing said children had been told to bring water from home; the district said Hartford Sumner is on a well, is tested by Water Quality Maine (including PFAS checks), and is planning plumbing and site repairs in a capital-improvement list that would be funded if the budget is approved.
Parents at the RSU 10 budget hearing repeatedly raised concerns about drinking water at Hartford Sumner Elementary School and urged the district to make repairs. Several residents said families had been advised to send water bottles to school rather than drink from building taps.
During the capital-improvement portion of the budget presentation, facilities staff and the superintendent described planned repairs for Hartford Sumner and said the school’s water is tested and monitored. Facilities staff described the planned Hartford Sumner projects as including plumbing improvements to address corroded piping, repairs and widening of the front parking area, drainage work to make the rear entry ADA-compliant, replacement of some exterior siding near the cafeteria, window-screen replacements, an air-unit cover replacement, and a tile-floor replacement in one classroom.
Testing and safety: the district told the meeting it hires Water Quality Maine to test the Hartford Sumner well on a regular basis (monthly and annually, including screening for PFAS) and that the well’s sulfur odor is expected from a well source but does not indicate an unsafe water quality. Facilities staff said, “We have it tested and monitored. … Because it's through a well, you will get that sulfur smell. But there's nothing that's unsafe about that water.”
Parent account and request for documentation: resident Stacy Wallingford said parents have been “encouraged to bring their own water bottles full of water from home” for several years and asked the district to clarify the practice and provide concrete documentation. The superintendent said the district can provide testing documentation on request.
Timing and funding: district staff said capital projects are assembled from building-level lists, reviewed by a board BGT (budget/finance) committee and prioritized during the budget cycle. Several Hartford Sumner items are on the capital list the district presented; if the budget is approved, some work is planned for the coming summer. The district noted that capital spending rose about $295,000 compared with the current year after many cuts made previously.
Ending: the district offered to share the water-quality test results and a capital-project list with residents prior to the annual meeting; any work will depend on voter approval of warrant articles and the district’s capital-planning timeline.
