DEERFIELD — With the town and its non-profit organizations each developing plans for the Old Deerfield Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Selectboard brought in two outside consultants on Wednesday for an early discussion about a potential future peer review of both plans.

As the South Deerfield Wastewater Treatment Plant’s work continues, the town has entered the early planning stages for the Old Deerfield plant on Little Meadow Road. The plant itself functions, but repairs or a replacement are needed to ensure the facility continues to serve the handful of residences connected, along with the town’s nonprofits, including Deerfield Academy, The Bement School, Eaglebrook School and Historic Deerfield.

The town and the nonprofits have met several times in the last few months as both groups pursued alternate design schemes for the plant. Selectboard Chair Trevor McDaniel said both parties have very early design plans drawn up and they brought in two representatives from engineering firm Weston & Sampson to talk about pursuing a peer review of both plans.

“The nonprofits wanted to take a stab at it and they went out and are doing their own due diligence,” McDaniel said. “We felt like it was a good idea to get a non-biased opinion on what the nonprofits bring back to us and weigh in on both plans.”

While it’s early in the process, Weston & Sampson Vice President and Wastewater Practice Leader Kent Nichols said his engineering firm has a lot of experience reviewing these sorts of projects and they could step in and help if the town requests it.

“We think we can provide pretty good advice,” Nichols said. “Your facilities are right exactly in the spot where most of our expertise lies.”

Fellow Vice President and Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Office Manager Chris Wester added Weston & Sampson is equipped to review any part of the project.

“We can help with anything any typical municipality would need,” Wester said.

Highway Superintendent Kevin Scarborough discussed the state of the plant.

“I think one of the things we’re looking at is, what is it going to take to bring Old Deerfield up,” Scarborough said. “The equipment itself needs to be upgraded. … It’s replacement parts, basically. There’s been no upgrades.”

As the town works through its own engineering with Dave Prickett Consulting, which is conducting the South Deerfield plant’s work, the nonprofits are consulting with their own engineers to determine what would be best for them.

In December 2022, Deerfield Academy Chief Financial Officer Matthew Sheehy, who has led the nonprofits’ efforts, said their own set of plans represents “important data for us to have,” especially since the nonprofits require a wastewater treatment plant to operate and a project this large should have a 40- to 50-year lifespan.

“We owe it to ourselves, other private owners and taxpayers, just to know what those options are … to compare ideas and costs,” Sheehy explained at a December Selectboard meeting. “We want to make sure we’re doing that, that’s really the background for why.”

Selectboard members said Wednesday night that they would continue further discussion with town staff and that they’ll reach out to Weston & Sampson when ready.

“I appreciate both of you coming tonight; this information has been really valuable,” Selectboard member Tim Hilchey said. “We’ll definitely talk to Kevin and see his thoughts on this, and see when it’s appropriate for us to have a further discussion.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

]]>