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Parents press committee over Millville Elementary water safety as district outlines treatment pilot and testing
Summary
A parent told the Blackstone‑Millville Regional School Committee she felt students were moved back to Millville Elementary too soon amid water and PFAS concerns. Town and school officials described a pilot filtration system, bulk water use, a testing schedule developed with Mass D, and operational mitigations such as bottled water and water coolers.
Stephanie Burgess, a Millville resident with four children in the district, told the school committee she was “disappointed in the decision to move the children back into the Millville Elementary School” and urged officials not to rush the return while the new treatment system is a pilot.
Committee and town officials responded with a detailed update. Jennifer Gil, who identified herself as vice chair of the town select board in Milville, said the Millville water tank was emptied, cleaned and refilled Aug. 14 by a Mass D‑approved bulk water supplier and that bottled water remains in use for drinking and cooking. Gil said the certified operator and Mass D are determining whether bulk water can safely feed the building while the new treatment system is installed and monitored. Installation was described as anticipated to be completed by Sept. 5, and staff said they will notify the committee when it is online.
Officials said the Mass Department of Public Health (Mass D) is developing a sampling protocol for the duration of the pilot, with increased testing frequency and multiple sample locations and analytes determined by Mass D. The committee was shown historical readings (January–present) for disinfection byproducts: haloacetic acid readings were cited as 67 ppb in January and 65.8 ppb in February (above a 60 ppb reference cited in the meeting), while total trihalomethanes remained below an 80 ppb reference in the presented months. Committee and staff noted regular PFAS spot checks were not included in the packet; presenters said typical PFAS readings had been around 8–12 parts per trillion in prior testing and identified a 20 ppt reference level for context.
During questioning, a participant who described a biomedical engineering background disputed an early characterization that organics from beavers alone caused haloacetic acid formation; school staff and the participant debated whether chlorine interacting with iron/manganese or organic carbon drives disinfection‑byproduct levels. School staff described the pilot system as using multiple treatment steps including chlorine and ultraviolet disinfection and stressed that the new system treats compounds not addressed under the previous approach.
Principal Schaefer outlined in‑school mitigations: seven water coolers placed throughout the building, continued use of bottled water for drinking and cooking, provisions for students who forget bottles, and community communications that will include operational details for families.
What happens next: installation is expected to be completed in early September; Mass D will set an ongoing sampling protocol for the pilot and staff will report results and any operational changes to the committee. The parent’s allegation that the town or school had financial incentives to return students to Millville was raised during public comment and was not substantiated or refuted during the meeting.
