A bit of good news regarding the failing septic system at Marion Cross School. Unlike last year, Marion Cross School will not fence off the leach field this winter. Instead, the school plans to pump the storage tanks once a week during the winter, said Tony Daigle, SAU 70 Director of Facilities, at the October 7 Norwich School Board meeting. This pumping should alleviate effluent flowing onto the Green during the colder months. It is not a permanent solution but will allow full use of the Green.
The septic problem at Marion Cross School is a regular item on the Norwich School Board agenda. Progress on the issue has slowed, in large part because the Norwich School Board and SAU 70 staff have their hands full with the Covid-19. As a result, the School Board does not anticipate a septic/sewer measure being on the ballot for Town Meeting in March 2021.
Here’s a brief update on where things stand on the search for a permanent solution:
- Green is not a likely solution. Digging up and replacing the leach field on the Green is not a likely solution. The May 2020 report from Lincoln Applied Geology describes the Green in winter as a “frozen soil box”. As a result, “during very cold weather … there is nowhere for the effluent to go but up to the surface on the north and west side of the Green.” The report then opines that the frozen soil box will not allow the system to function properly “regardless of the size, dimension or orientation.”
- Connection to Hartford sewer on hold. Hartford is in the process of conducting a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) study. One of the purposes of the CSO study is to evaluate the future needs of Hartford with respect to its sewer system. Until that study is complete, Hartford is not in a portion to know whether its sewer system has the capacity to accommodate the needs of Marion Cross School. Even with capacity, Hartford may not want to add MCS to its system.
- Alternative septic sites. The School Board is also exploring alternative septic sites. Two sites publicly mentioned are the Dresden athletic fields on Route 5 South and Huntley Meadow, subject, however, to landowner approval. One resident says the School Board is not doing enough. It should be proactively digging tests wells to determine if any of the sites are viable. With winter on the doorstep, the test window is closing.
- No action by Town. The Planning Commission has plans to study municipal septic and sewer for the Village and Route 5 South. But, since the dissolution of the Sewer Working Group, the PC has not addressed the topic. Municipal sewer is a very controversial topic in Norwich. However, the Town’s examining the issue now makes sense because the School District by necessity is exploring off-site septic or sewer. Collaboration might save taxpayers money.
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