Princeton board approves $328,683.47 settlement over school piping leaks

The Princeton City Schools Board of Education voted to approve a settlement and release with AquaTherm to address recurring ruptures and leaks in plastic water lines installed at the district’s high school and middle school complex.

Superintendent Mr. Card told the board that the settlement covers labor, supplies and shipping costs for repairs and leaves money available should additional problems arise. "So if you if you see there, Optimum, they're gonna give us about $257,000 for labor, $70,187.47 for supplies, and 1,500 for shipping, which was a total of 328,683 and 47," Mr. Card said while reviewing the agreement presented to the board.

Board members asked staff whether the remaining life of the existing piping had been assessed and whether the district had calculated cost differences versus traditional copper lines. District staff said they had not been given a projected remaining life by the company and would follow up on historical cost comparisons. The board approved the motion to accept the settlement on a roll‑call vote; board members recorded their assent and the motion passed.

The motion to approve the settlement was moved by an unidentified member and seconded; the board recorded the vote and the motion passed. The settlement allocates funds for labor and supplies and provides a modest contingency to address any future leaks related to the plastic piping. Staff committed to report back with any additional information about expected remaining service life and comparative costs.

Next steps: district staff will finalize the settlement paperwork and track any subsequent related repairs to determine if additional corrective measures are needed.