ROCHESTER – As Old Colony looks to expand, Superintendent Aaron Polansky is reaching out to determine how to meet the school’s water needs both now and in the future.

In March, the school was accepted into the Core Program Eligibility Period, which will look at the current systems in place at the school and address the potential need for expansion. The study will begin in October.

These conversations in March inspired further discussion about the water resources at Old Colony, located in Rochester.

“My biggest concern is fire protection and if something goes wrong with the well, it puts us in a really tough place,” Polansky told the Rochester Select Board at their most recent meeting.

Old Colony currently derives its water from one bedrock well and a 5,000 gallon tank.

He said that the school is hoping to explore improved fire protection and a “source of redundancy for [their] well in the event the need were to arise.”

The well is currently serving the school without any issues, but Polansky is concerned about the lack of a back-up plan should an issue develop.

Since the discussion with the Select Board, Polansky told Sippican Week that he is currently in the process of exploring the cost of engineering the infrastructure that would be required to provide access.

“Once we have a better grasp of cost, we can explore potential funding structures,” he said.

He is also looking into potential water sources. Polansky stated that he has begun preliminary discussions with Michael Bumpus, the Water Superintendent for Middleboro, to learn more about accessing the water that currently ties into the Annie Maxim House in Rochester, which uses Middleboro water and is located on the same street as the school. No commitments have been made at this time.

“We are in an exploratory and research phase,” he said.

Polansky said that he has met with State Representative William Straus to discuss the project, and that Straus is “a strong advocate of Old Colony.”

As they are beginning to explore options, Polansky said that there are not yet deadlines or timelines associated with this project.