Flood Middle School leak worries officials

STRATFORD The new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system at Flood Middle School has been leaking or evaporating environmentally harmful antifreeze for the past six months and town officials don't know where it's going. They also don't know how or when a dysfunctional expansion tank in the 18-month-old, $5.7 million system is going to be repaired, or who will pay to fix it since contractors are refusing to foot the bill.

Town and school officials told the Town Council's Building Needs Committee on Monday night the problem was discovered about six months ago when an alarm went off, alerting them the tank was not working properly. They said 50 gallons of glycol coolant, which costs about $5 a gallon, has either been leaking or evaporating from the system ever since. "All we know is there has been some kind of problem for months, but the heating and air conditioning have always been working," said Bob Swager, manager of plant operations for the school district.

"We still don't know where the glycol is ending up, but we do know the expansion tank needs to be replaced because it's not working the way it should be," Public Works Director John Carroll told the committee. Town Engineer John Casey said BL

Companies, the project engineers, and Nutmeg Companies, the subcontractor, agreed to do the repairs at first but now neither is willing. "Everything was set and we thought this would have been completed by now, but last week all the contractors indicated they don't believe they have to pay for the work," Casey said.

"We still believe they do." Meanwhile, Town Council member Michael Julian, R-1, a member of the building committee, demanded the system be repaired quickly. "Frankly, I can't believe this has been going on so long and we still don't know what's happening to the glycol," Julian said.

"I think this is a serious matter that must be addressed and corrected right away." Julian said the committee should not wait 30 days until its next meeting, and urged the panel to meet again shortly to ensure the repairs are completed But Councilman Michael Henrick, R-10, chairman of the committee, said he doesn't believe the leaking antifreeze is posing a health threat to the school's 615 students and 75 staff members. "I think if there was any health danger, the town's engineers and contractors would not allow the system to continue operating," Henrick said.

"We want to see this resolved as soon as possible, but I don't think people should be panicking about it either." Casey said be could not assess if there is any potential health or environmental threat. Officials at both BL Companies and Nutmeg Companies could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

The committee voted unanimously to request more information from Mayor James R. Miron on the matter, and for the repairs to be corrected soon.