West Bridgewater School Panel Told Wastewater Barrier May Block Pre-K Through Six

WEST BRIDGEWATER — February 11, 2025 — West Bridgewater school project may be capped at pre-K through grade four by site wastewater limits. The School Building Committee heard Tuesday from project architects HMFH and project manager PMA that a wastewater treatment plant, required for any school serving more than 1,250 students, is very likely not feasible on the Roselle Street site under current Massachusetts DEP regulations, due to the site's high water table, wetlands, and tightening state enforcement around groundwater near wetlands. A conventional septic system appears viable for a smaller pre-kindergarten through grade four school, with engineers reporting one favorable percolation test in a roughly 100-by-160-foot area on the east side of the site, though additional testing with Board of Health oversight is needed. Committee Chair Gary said the finding "suggests that direction" of dropping the pre-kindergarten through six configuration, though no formal scope vote was taken. The committee unanimously affirmed the roster of a new Sustainability Subcommittee set to kick off February 25, and heard that the project traces back to an April 2022 MSBA statement of interest that originally sought to replace Roselle and Spring Street schools with a pre-kindergarten through grade three building before state encouragement pushed the committee toward a larger consolidation plan.