NEW SALEM — The vice president of the engineering firm contracted to install a water filtration system at Swift River School to rid it of synthetic substances known as “forever chemicals” states an eight-hour test went flawlessly last week and the company now awaits test results to determine water quality.

Pete Valinski, of Tighe & Bond, addressed the Wendell Selectboard this week, informing members that the Oct. 29 test went off “without a hitch” and he believes the test results “will be favorable.”

Wendell and New Salem own and operate Swift River School, which uses a type of public water system known as a non-transient non-community water system. The towns previously signed up for a free round of testing under a program that tests for PFAS6 — a set of six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used in common consumer products like food packaging and outdoor clothing — and the school’s tap water in the fall of 2020 revealed elevated levels of the family of chemicals.

The initial PFAS6 sampling was 53.8 parts per trillion (ppt) when the school’s drinking water was tested in November 2020. Follow-up sampling completed in January 2021 showed PFAS6 levels at 46.1 ppt. The state’s maximum contaminant level allowed for PFAS6 is 20 ppt. Compliance is based on the average of three monthly samples in a calendar quarter.

The state Department of Environmental Protection recently declared a water emergency at Swift River School due to the ongoing issues. The declaration will remain in effect until there is no longer a need to use bottled water, according to a letter from Andrew Kelly of the state’s Drinking Water Program.

Principal Kelley Sullivan wrote in an email that Swift River School has been using bottled water for two years to meet its needs. MassDEP advises having one gallon per person per day for potable uses. Water in the school’s distribution system may be used solely for non-potable purposes, such as flushing toilets.

Valinski plans to email the test results to Wendell Town Coordinator Glenn Johnson-Mussad as soon as he receives them. Johnson-Mussad told the Greenfield Recorder he had not received the results as of 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

“We certainly have had some challenges, but I believe we’ve overcome them,” Valinski told the Selectboard. “Things are going just fine.”

Valinski said the company was plagued by the same supply chain issues that have affected most industries over the past couple of years. He explained Tighe & Bond employees had to pick up the filtration system from the vendor on Aug. 7. The system was installed and Tighe & Bond enlisted the help of WhiteWater Inc., which operates, manages and maintains water and wastewater systems. Testing was slated for late September, but rescheduled for Oct. 4 due to a clogged distributor tube.

“We had to do it on a Saturday because school is in session and we’re working around that. I’m not going to say that didn’t hinder it,” Valinski said. “We passed water through it and found some leaks and head loss (water pressure reduction) through one of the tanks.”

Valinski said there were clogs and Tighe & Bond workers went back to the site a few more times to fix any issues. The intent is to run the system for a week to ensure there are no further problems. He also mentioned the tank bladder is expected to be changed over Veterans Day weekend.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.