District says high school water shows elevated manganese; fixtures shut off and bottled water provided

Assistant Superintendent Ross Mulcahren told the committee the district has detected ongoing elevated manganese levels in both raw and finished water at the high school and has updated the required DEP public notices. "We'll continue to monitor those levels," Mulcahren said, adding that the district posted a public-facing water page with notices sent to families and staff and the official DEP public notice.

Mulcahren said any fixtures that test over the regulatory limits have been shut off and the district is providing bottled water to students and staff. He said facilities staff are building a new enclosure for the pump, a new filtration system and new wells for the new school building; those upgrades should remove the current exposure pathway.

Committee members asked how the district is ensuring visitors and others in the building are aware of the issue and do not access affected drinking fixtures; Mulcahren said fixtures above the limit are shut off and labeled and the district is following DEP guidance on ongoing testing and public notice intervals.

The committee also discussed how the new building—s design is intended to resolve the problem and when the district will have final raw-water results from the new wells. Mulcahren said the district is choosing testing protocols and sequencing that best match the new system design and will continue outreach to families while the building remains in use for the next couple of years.