KP School Committee Told of Wastewater Project Problem

The King Philip School Committee got an update — and word of a potential problem — Monday evening on the continuing efforts to solve treatment problems.

District Business Manager Paul Schaefer said he had received an email from the contractor who is digging out a new leach field.

"They ran into an area of bad dirt," he said. "It's not an oil spill, and it's not contaminated — it is bad soil for the use of a leach field."

Schaefer said this problem will require further exploration.

"Work has to stop until our engineers and the board of health inspect the quality of the soil," he said. "If it does not meet compliance, we may have to dig it out and replace it."

He said the hope is that the board of health finds a mix of the existing soil with better soil acceptable.

Committee Chairman Patrick Francomano expressed concern about how the delay will affect the project's timeline.

"If this is going to require additional funding, we do not have a meeting before the [board of health] deadline," he said.

Schaefer said he believed the deadline of Oct. 28 was for substantial, not total, completion of the project.