PV Middle School has been hooked up to sewer system

Remains from the past have frequently been unearthed in the area surrounding Pequannock Valley Middle School. Indian artifacts, objects from Revolutionary War encampments, not to mention an occasional fossil have been found on the grounds.

Now another relic from a previous era septic tanks are going to be addressed.

Last August, P.V. School became the last township school to be hooked up to sewers as the township's overall project to install sewers on the east side of town neared completion. The school was attached to the system at a cost of $114,000.

Now the school district will be looking at ways to get the old tanks emptied and filled with sand, a process referred to as "decommissioning."

District Business Administrator Barbara Decker said there is not particular rush to do the work, as the tanks are sealed and present no health or safety issues. But she said it should be done as soon as practical, probably during the summer when school is closed.

The great mystery is just what's underground. Decker said there are seven tanks, each with a capacity of 2,000 to 2,500 gallons. Because of scant record-keeping going back to the 1950s, the exact size of the tanks can't be determined, but the process is pretty straightforward as the same volume of material pumped out will be replaced with the same amount to fill it.

The tanks will be filled with a sand material that is approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection, Decker said. The sand pumped into the tanks will absorb any remaining material, and will eventually hardens.

Decker said bids for the work will be solicited and that if possible, personnel from the district could possibly perform the work during the summer.

"We could save some money if we did it ourselves," Decker said.

The process takes only a day or two, she said. Because the work would involve having several trucks on the school grounds, she said it is preferable to do it while school is not in session.

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PV Middle School has been hooked up to sewer system