REHOBOTH - Voters approved the appropriation of $1.2 million for a new wastewater system at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School during the latest session of town meeting.

The finance committee had recommended spending up to $1.425 million. After much discussion, voters made it clear that they did not want to spend more by borrowing for the project.

Thirty-one items remain for voters to tackle, when the fourth night of town meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the high school.

The school committee agreed with the finance committee's recommendation, but said that the $1.2 million would probably not be enough to repair the fields, which would be partially dug up during construction. The fields have been unusable for several years for various reasons.

Repairing them would allow the soccer program, which has been playing off-site for four years, to be brought back to the high school. State grant sought

The school district has applied for a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority for 52 percent of the cost and for a 2 percent loan to help pay for the project.

"The school committee is disappointed that the town did not vote an appropriation up to the $1,425,000, because with the potential grant and the potential low interest loan that would have been a cost-effective way of solving the sewer treatment problem and also would have allowed us to bring the playing fields back to good condition," said David Katseff, school committee member.

The article originally included language that the appropriation was contingent on receiving the grant and low interest loan, but this was removed by amendment.

The project will go forward whether or not the town receives the grant and loan.

According to Katseff, the voters sent a message that they either wanted the project brought down to $1.2 million or other monies should be used that may be available to the school district.

There is a reserved capital account that has approximately $245,000 in it which could be used by the school committee to fund some of the project but the school committee doesn't recommend using it, Katseff said.

Dighton to share cost

Because it is a regional high school, Dighton will share in the cost of the new system.

Rehoboth pays 60 percent and Dighton 40 percent of the total cost, and Dighton has not yet approved its portion of the capital project. The 42-year-old treatment plant no longer meets EPA standards for wastewater discharge, according to school officials.

After researching several alternatives, it was determined that a system that involves leaching beds would be the best option to replace the existing plant.

That would include a separate procedure for accumulating non-sanitary waste from the art classrooms and janitor's sinks and pumping it out.