Town Issues Third Violation On High School Construction

and , this week the Waterford School District was hit with a third violation for construction at the high school.

“This is an embarrassment for the town of Waterford,” Conservation Commission Chairman Gary Johnson said. “When the town handles its own property like this, it just erodes the effectiveness of this commission.”

Environmental Planner Maureen Fitzgerald again delivered the violation for again not controlling sediment runoff on the site – the same reason for the previous two violations. This time, water runoff from the now partially sealed roof and from the area around the led to the “discharge of sediment to the storm water basin,” which is not in accordance with the permit, according to a letter by Fitzgerald.

“What is disturbing to me is the whole point of having an independent expert on the site is to stay ahead of these issues, and we specifically said to stay ahead of these issues,” Johnson said. “Why were we surprised when we added that much more impervious surface… This is pretty basic stuff.”

What Happened/What Now

In November, during a heavy rain, water ran off the roof of the school, water that was not fully accounted for by the sediment mediation system. This water eroded a slope and brought sediment-laden water into a storm water basin and possibly into wetlands behind the school, according to Scott Medeiros of McFarland Johnson, one of the two independent companies brought in to help manage the sediment runoff.

“It was a soft spot, if you will,” Medeiros said.

A “Band-Aid” has been put on to the problem, as further remediation is underway, Medeiros said. That includes more sediment controls and some re-installation of silt fences, among other actions, according to a letter by Fitzgerald.

Johnson also asked O & G Industries, the company managing the construction site, to hire an independent biologist to see if there has been any damage to the wetlands behind the school. Project Manager Gus Kotait of O & G said he would have that by the commission’s next meeting on Nov. 15.

School District’s Reaction

After the meeting, Waterford Building and Grounds Director Jay Miner said he was beginning to lose patience with O & G Industries and , the company charged with all site work on the project.

“We’ve given them direction many times, they are just not complying with what we want them to do,” Miner said. “We are trying to get a handle on the site, we are trying to tell them what to do.”

Miner said there are two firms watching sediment runoff on the site. The site is almost where it should be, but that "almost" is causing problems, he said.

“It's just that last little bit to close up the site to make it a lot more efficient,” Miner said. “We are a lot further along than we were, we just need to go a little bit further.”