Millville Elementary to get $1 million EPA grant for new water treatment; pilot testing expected within weeks

The Blackstone-Millville School Committee heard on April 10 that the Millville Elementary School has been awarded a $1 million grant from the EPA’s Boston drinking water program to fund a new water treatment system.

A district representative read an approval email to the committee confirming the grant award and said the town and district expect to receive formal application forms from the Boston office the following Monday. The district’s water operator and an equipment supplier have already been identified, the presenter said, and crews are standing by to purchase and install the system once paperwork and funding are in place.

Officials described the planned rollout as a rapid pilot-and-installation sequence. According to the presentation, the vendor has used comparable treatment equipment in New Jersey and New York for similar water chemistry issues; the Millville pilot is expected to run one to two weeks on site, with the installation and verification process expected to be completed within about 30 days once the equipment is installed.

District staff emphasized that the pilot addresses iron, manganese, total organic carbon and PFAS-related testing thresholds and that monthly and quarterly testing will continue to verify results. The district has committed to supplying bottled water for students and staff until the system is operational and compliant.

Committee members praised the long-running effort to secure funding and asked staff to provide a precise timeline and monthly testing schedule once vendor dates are finalized. The committee was told the vendor is fast-tracking procurement and the district and town expect quick movement once the grant forms are returned.

No vote was required; the announcement was presented as an informational update with follow-up reporting promised via email and at subsequent meetings.