Repairs have been completed to fix the contaminated drinking water at Hope Elementary School in Carlsbad, California.
According to a memo by the Carlsbad Unified School District on Feb. 24, the city was notified following a suspicion that the domestic water lines at Hope Elementary were crossed with reclaimed water irrigation lines on campus. All water was immediately shut off on campus, and students were sent home, reported the memo.
There were also concerns with intermittent discoloration of the water at the school. These complaints began in the fall and went well into the winter, prompting a full investigation after more complaints after winter break.
Additionally, water samples were taken on the campus and tested for safety. No pathogens were found in the samples and the water was deemed within safe drinking standards, according to the memo.
Bottled water was available to students and staff in the midst of the water testing.
The school received clearance to reopen on Feb. 28 after treating the school’s plumbing and conducting water quality tests. The tests were also analyzed by a third-party laboratory.
Once the cross connection was removed, the plumbing system was purged throughout the school with highly chlorinated water, which sat overnight and then was flushed with potable water. Thereafter, tests conducted showed the water was safe to drink.
All of the drinking water dispenser filters on campus were replaced as well, according to the memo.
There are still investigations into how the cross connection occurred. So far, it is speculated that it happened during the course of construction based on the timing of complaints and the location of the connection, added the memo.
