Ringgold board addresses water issue at middle school site
Ringgold School Board on Wednesday discussed groundwater issues at the construction site for the new middle school on the high school campus.
The board voted 6-2 to authorize GeoMechanics Inc. to install, monitor and evaluate three subsurface test borings (piezometers) between the high school stadium and the stormwater retention tank at the new middle school site. The cost is not to exceed $9,800.
Matthew Franz, vice president of HHSDR Architects/Engineers, said the piezometers they installed will be used to monitor the water levels to help them find a solution to the significant seeping of water that is coming from the hillside and was not remedied by the installation of a water retention tank.
Dr. Javaid Alvi, president of GeoMechanics Inc., said there was always groundwater seeping out of the embankment. He said the fill material put in place after the original construction was loose and soft, allowing for surface water to seep in and easily flow out to where the original surface was, prior to the original stadium construction.
Alvi said prior to the original construction of the stadium, groundwater ran through a gulley and down through where the stadium now stands. Alvi said this issue was caused by the fact there were no underdrains installed under the field or stadium to collect the water.
Alvi said the major concern with this extra flow of water is the stability of the embankment. Alvi said they already have collected groundwater data from the piezometers and will see how the stability of the embankment has been affected so far. “We don’t know yet if we have a stability problem or not,” Alvi said.
Franz said it will take several months to collect enough data to get those findings. He said once they gather the findings regarding the water levels, they will be able to develop proper solutions. Franz said one solution the district will likely need either way is an anti-seep collar that will be installed around the existing pipe to help retain the water and allow it to seep into the water table rather than flow into the trench. Franz said this solution is a common “after-the-fact correction.”
Nancy Gorgas, project manager for Massaro CM Services LLC, said this collar will block the water that is flowing around the pipe and through the gravel. She said its installation will help the water drain through the earth, rather than into the trench.
Alvi said in the earlier stages of construction “no one noticed the flow coming out of the hillside.” Board member Gene Kennedy said with this being a $45 million project, it is unacceptable that no one noticed this ahead of time.
Board member James Dodd, who voted against the motion, said on top of the $9,800 for this testing, the district will be charged $14,000 for the anti-seep collar if it is installed, totaling $23,800. “There are spots in this district where you can buy a house for $23,800. Money doesn’t grow on trees,” Dodd said. Board member Lawrence Mauro also voted against the motion.
The board also approved the following motions related to the middle school construction:
• $25,305 payment to architects HHSDR
• $30,203 payment to Massaro CM Services LLC
• Payments of $9,777 and $8,857 to GeoMechanics Inc.
• Payments to the Hudson Group Inc. (general contractor) for $1,524,105.47, Lugaila Mechanical Inc. for $52,914.96, A-1 Electrical Inc. for $21,537, Vrabel Plumbing Co. LLC for $20,052 and to S.A. Comunale Co. Inc. for $3,636.
Dodd voted against all four of the motions because of his concern with how the problems with water retention were not investigated by anyone during the earlier phases of the construction process. “I have real reservations about this performance,” Dodd said. Mauro also voted against the motions.
“I think we need a better answer other than the district needs to pay for it,” Dodd said.
The board voted unanimously to approve an addendum to the contract between the district and Portnoff Law Associates. The addendum will extend the contract for three more years from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2019, for Portnoff to continue the collection of delinquent taxes for the district, with no change to the current agreement. Portnoff Law Associates has been working under contract with the district since 2008.