SACO — The city of Saco public schools were to undergo a second round of air quality
C.K. Burns School, along with the the rest of Saco’s public schools, will undergo a second round of air quality testing this week. Courtesy Photo
testing on Thursday, Dec. 10 as recommended by the company that conducted the first round in September.
The Sept. 9 test was conducted with windows open, and while staff was present, said Superintendent Dominic DePatsy, students didn’t begin classes until the following day.
On Thursday, Dec. 10 tests will be conducted with students present, and windows closed.
In its report, The Lawson Group stated that the air supplied by the ventilation systems and open windows “generally promotes adequate indoor air quality.”
“Due to the high number of open windows observed, however, The Lawson Group cannot definitively conclude how well the HVAC system is operating and whether or not it alone, is providing adequate amounts of outside air, so if windows are closed during the colder seasons, ongoing indoor air quality monitoring is recommended,” the report concluded.
The company noted that HVAC system settings would likely have to be adjusted in the winter months, and advised the so-called “demand” controls on the system be disabled and the school department should ensure the systems are operating 24 hours a day, if capable of doing so. It recommended the cleaning of a pre-filter on one of the air handling units at Fairfield School and several HVAC units in other school buildings also be cleaned, that filters be changed in some building and gaps sealed.
The report said the company believes that mold spores in the speech and language office at Fairfield School are likely a product of outside growth, as no growth was observed inside, but that further inspections be conducted.
The report noted that using open windows to ventilate counters the tempering and filtration ability of mechanical ventilation systems, and suggested that instead, people dress lighter on hot and humid days and warmer on cold days.
It recommended that during dry winter months, building occupants be encouraged to drink at least 64 ounces of water daily to keep hydrated.
“Doing so not only helps with occupant comfort, but they actually become the ‘humidification system’ for the building. Since adult humans contain between 50 percent and 60 percent water, they contain much more water than the air does and water will ‘flow’ from higher concentrations to lower concentrations, which means the occupants are constantly giving up moisture to the dry air,” the report concluded.
The schools assessed in the ventilation test included Saco Middle School, C.K. Burns Elementary School, Fairfield Elementary School, Young Elementary School, and Saco Pre-Kindergarten School, along with three rooms at First Parish Congregational Church, where some students receive instruction.
“We decided back in September to test either in November or December when it was colder and the windows would be shut, to help with concerns from our staff,” said DePatsy in an email. “As you can imagine we have to go through the testing company around dates that they have available because they’re not only testing schools but other buildings in New Hampshire and Maine.”
The testing is paid for through federal coronavirus relief funds funneled through the state. In a Nov. 25 message to families, DePatsy said an update on the money spent would be added to the school department website once done.
He said the deadline for the school department to submit expenses to the Maine DOE is Dec. 31.
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