EAST PROVIDENCE — Seven months since the episode occurred, after five months of often times intense negotiations and with the possibility of litigation lurching over the process, all parties involved in the matter of the damaged drain pipe/sink hole in the northwest corner of the athletics stadium on the new East Providence High School grounds have coalesced around a solution.

At the April 11 School Committee meeting, district Facilities Director Chris Murphy told the body the administration, the project's lead contractor, Gilbane, the site work subcontractor, DiGregorio, as well as multiple consultants representing each side have agreed on the proper protocols to remedy the situation.

Still to be determined, however, is from what source the money will come from, where the fiscal responsibility lies and who will perform the chores.

Murphy said the expectation is for the pipe to be fixed, the hole to be correctly filled and the lighting unit to be put back into place sometime this June.

A temporary light console, used previously last fall, is back in place to allow for use of the stadium at night by the EPHS boys' and girls' lacrosse and track teams.

The cause for concern arose late last summer just before the start of the 2022-23 term and following a couple of severe rain storms. A 36-inch storm drain responsible for moving overflow water from the front side of the high school burst, creating a hole at the base of one of the four Musco light towers that illuminate the 2,500-seat, artificial turf field and running track in the rear of the campus.

Though the base did not fail, nor was base compromised or the pole in any immediate danger of falling, the fixture was taken down nonetheless for precautionary reasons. The field was still used by both the EPHS boys' and girls' soccer programs during the fall, but for crowd safety concerns football games were shifted to the Townies' historic previous home at Pierce Stadium.

Since, all sides have been in deep discussions about why the pipe failed, why the ground gave way and how the location could be brought back to proper operational standards.

"The primary reason why it took so long, which I don't think a lot of people understand, is because of the complexity of the problem we had on our hands," Murphy said after the meeting.

Murphy explained even the most experienced of engineers involved in the deliberations was taken aback a bit by what they faced as they figured out how to address the matter.

Located in the same 20-foot general area as the leaky 36-inch storm drain is a 12-inch sewer main line, a concrete encased electrical conduit and a 20-foot tall, 36-inch wide concrete support for the stadium light pole.

"We had to make sure that when the hole is filled in that the right material is used and at the right compression rates," said Murphy. "We need to make sure that all of this is done correctly, because this isn't a situation we're addressing for the next few months. This is a situation we're addressing for the next 50 years."

Additionally, Murphy said not only was it a "challenge" to get "all the really smart, educated people" to agree on a singular approach, it was tough enough just to get them to not only meet, but also gather all at the same place at the same time.

"I can't emphasize this enough. We are absolutely, positively cognizant of needing to have this done correctly," Murphy added.

He continued, "I would say at least 75 percent of the people working on this have admitted to not having seen a situation of this complexity. That's one of the reasons for the perceived delays or the inaction. But, again, this will be done right and all contractual obligations will be met."

The June date, Murphy conceded somewhat, was a "best case scenario." As with any outdoor construction project it is dependent on the availability of contractors, cooperative weather or any other "unforeseen circumstances."

He did add, though, "I fully expect the light pole to be back up well before the start of the upcoming football season."