NORWICH — Officials say they’re closing in on a solution to septic problems plaguing the Marion Cross School, years after effluent from the struggling system was first observed on the town green.
The Norwich School Board is exploring several ways to deal with the septage from the elementary school just off of Main Street.
They include replacing the leach field under the Norwich green, which is next to the school; relocating the field to a nearby town-owned property; or connecting to Hartford’s municipal sewer lines miles away.
Consultants say each proposal could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and would likely require the cooperation of state and municipal regulators.
But school officials are hopeful a concrete plan will be ready for the warning for March Town Meeting.
“We’re still in the data-gathering stage,” Jamie Teague, the Dresden School District’s business administrator, said on Monday. “There’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of people who have questions and thoughts on the process.”
The septic system, which was installed in 1988, drains into four different beds on the western side of the Norwich green, according to Jeff Goodrich, president of Lebanon-based Pathways Consulting, which is working with the school district to assess alternatives.
“The beds have had difficulties, I would guess for a number of years, and, at this point, the system needs to be repaired or replaced,” he said.
Officials began making repairs to the septic system in 1998, according to a report presented by Pathways last summer. Soon after, effluent began to emerge on the ground during the winter, the report said.
Consultants said several issues likely contributed to the septic problems, including heavy use of the green as a playground and public gathering space.
“While pedestrian use of the green may not impose weight-related impacts on the system, constant use in the winter months results in the elimination of snow, or compaction of snow to an ice layer,” which then increases the chances of frost developing, the report said.
The Norwich Fair and vehicles on the town green , as well as its use as an ice skating rink, could have also contributed to problems, consultants found.
Teague said problems aren’t visible every year, only those where particularly cold winters coupled with little snowfall, leaving the ground with little snow insulation. She said the school can also alternate which beds it sends waste into, which can help minimize issues.
In its report, Pathways outlined three options to resolve the septic problems, starting with replacing the system on the Norwich green.
That proposal could cost about $275,000, and would likely be subject to similar wear and tear unless the town limits use of the green, the consultants said.
The school district could also move its septic system to the nearby, town-owned Peisch property, a wooded lot between the school and Interstate 91. That could cost $375,000 and require the construction of a pump station, the report said. Officials would also have to navigate a conservation easement on the property.
A final option is to extend Hartford’s sewer line north along Route 5 from the area of Olcott Park for about 1.3 miles. That would cost $1.7 million, the consultants said, but some of that could be covered by low-interest loans and grants.
The extension could also economically benefit the town, and allow King Arthur Flour, The Family Place, The Car Store and other businesses to hook up to the line.
Former Hartford Town Manager Leo Pullar told Goodrich in January that there is enough capacity in Hartford’s sewer system for the extension, and affirmed the town would be willing to provide a letter of commitment, according to an update Pathways provided to the Norwich School Board in February.
But Pullar’s successor, Brannon Godfrey, said on Monday that more work is needed to determine the sewer capacity, which would require additional engineering analysis. He said the costs of that analysis should be fronted by the school district.
Norwich Town Manager Herb Durfee said he hasn’t been in talks with the school district regarding use of the Peisch property, although the town is willing to help coordinate a solution to the septic problems.
The School Board will continue to research its options through the summer and fall, when it’s expected to receive updated construction estimates, said Chairman Tom Candon, who expects a solution will be in sight by Town Meeting.
“It’s taken a while but we’re still hopeful we’re going to be on track,” he said.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.