Town approves $7 million HVAC upgrade

BERLIN, CT — Proposed upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system at Catherine M. McGee Middle School in the amount of $6,950,000 have been approved by the Berlin Town Council, according to the New Britain Herald News.

According to the story, parents and guardians had long complained that the poor performing ventilation system was causing health problems like headaches and asthma for their children.

Aside from the new HVAC system, Catherine M. McGee Middle School will also receive new lighting and ceiling tiles, improvements to the building''s drainage system and new floor tiles where necessary, the story stated.

To quell the concerns of parents and guardians, air quality tests for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, humidity, temperature, mold, fungi and dust particles will be performed by a consulting firm and the results posted to the town of Berlin''s website, the story noted.

The coil design of the present ventilation system makes cleaning difficult, and because of its limitations, even with cleaning, the system falls 60 percent below today''s environmental standards, the story added.

According to the article, staff will be trained to clean, maintain and troubleshoot the new system once its installation begins over the 2010 summer recess.

Town Engineer Art Simonian said: "This project is not simply a cleaning or upgrade. We''re installing a new system, one that meets current codes and standards. Training and maintenance is well within our budget."

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