Nazareth Area School District to spend nearly $100,000 for middle school drainage project

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

The Nazareth Area School Board agreed to spend nearly $100,000 to improve storm drainage at the middle school.

The board voted Monday to spend $41,380 on a pipeline project and $50,000 to obtain proper state permits.

The district paid $25,000 in February to fill a sinkhole that formed near the track, which lies between the high school and middle school. The district paid another $25,000 to fill it when it reopened in April. The sinkhole disrupted some spring home meets.

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Support Services Dennis Riker would not confirm or deny whether the storm pipeline project has anything to do with the sinkhole issue, but did say he believes it would significantly improve drainage issues around the track.

He said the system would collect water runoff instead of allowing it to flow onto the sides of the track, wreaking havoc for the students who run on it.

"We do not have a lot of water absorption into the field," Riker said. "It's not happening on that field. The water is going to the side of the field and not draining down the field."

The track was built as part of the entire $49 million Nazareth Area Middle School project, which was completed in August 2009. The six-lane all-weather track with bleachers cost the district $760,500.

The board unanimously gave the nod to Slatington-based Dirt Work Solutions to handle the pipeline work. The funds are coming from the district's $250,000 building and grounds budget, Riker said.

Riker said Monday district's insurance may cover the cost of filling in the sinkhole earlier this year.

Riker said the district was unaware of the runoff issues until after the track was constructed. When it rains hard, 6 inches below the sod grass level is "bone dry," he said.

Riker said the roots of the grass around the track aren't penetrating into the ground. As a result, the district will punch holes into the field to help the grass gain more root structure, he said.

Riker estimated work on the pipeline would not begin until about mid-to-late October and would take about two weeks.

In the meantime, the final step in repairing the sinkhole is to resurface the track on Sept. 5. There have been no issues with the sinkhole reopening in about three months, Riker said.

Riker previously had cited drainage problems with snow melting and a great deal of water running off the field in creating the sinkhole.

On Monday, he said sinkholes are common in the area regardless of the track's drainage issues. The Lehigh Valley is a limestone corridor, where the porous rock is prevalent underground.

Riker said last week a sinkhole opened up at the entrance to Bushkill Elementary School and has since been fixed.


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