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Columbia officials say school needs filtration now; tanker and grant timing complicate quick fixes
Summary
Town officials reported an urgent need for engineered filtration at the Columbia school after contaminant detections; staff said the temporary tanker costs about $1,500 per week, the district had a roughly $49,652 school repair grant available, and the town had received $92,648 (education) plus $22,616 (general) from the state for a combined $115,264, while acknowledging grant timelines may not meet an urgent September deadline.
Town staff told the board on May 5 that the school faces an urgent water-quality problem that will likely require installation of engineered filtration before students return in September.
The administrator said the school is currently receiving water by tanker (staff cited a recurring cost around $1,500 per week) and that available grant sources are limited or slow to disburse. The board was told the school previously received a district repair grant of about $49,652 that staff expect can be used to help fund the filtration project, and the administrator said the state released additional funding the town expects to receive: $92,648 for the education budget and $22,616 for the town budget (a figure the administrator cited together as $115,264).
The administrator explained that many clean-water funding programs prioritize individual residents and that nonprofits and municipalities often cannot apply directly for certain state clean-water funds; staff are pursuing options with the East regional health district and other state programs to identify testing and potential funding pathways for affected residents.
"We have to have a system ready to go when the kids come back in September," the administrator said, noting grant application timelines and permitting may delay reimbursement and urging continued outreach to state agencies about expedited options.
Why it matters: The school's water access affects student safety and daily operations (the transcript referenced bottled water and use of a tanker). Funding sources and permitting complexities mean the town may need to bridge costs before potential grant reimbursement.
What happens next: Staff said they will continue discussions with the East regional health district, collect testing data, pursue available grants, and bring cost and timeline options back to the board for decisions on financing and bidding.
