Head O’ Meadow Drinking Water ‘All Clear’

By Tanjua Damon

When school began on August 30, students of two elementary schools were unable to drink water from the school and had to rely on bottled water for a drink. Now one school has the “all clear” and the other remains with bottled water for a bit longer.

The Head O’ Meadow School community began the first days of school unable to drink from water fountains because coliform bacteria was found in the well at the school after a test in early August. The problem was treated with chlorine. But Monday, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Dominick Posca said the recent test results came back good.

“Head O’ Meadow is all clear,” he said. “We will remove the bottled water. Then for the next five months we’ll have to do at least five tests.”

Mr Posca said the procedure after a school gets the go ahead to start drinking the water again is to test the well again over the next five months at least five times to make sure the well is completely clear from any bacteria. After the results come back with good standing, the school will be tested every six months as they normally would, he said.

Middle Gate School also opened school using bottled water because of several pipes being replaced from the well to the school. It continues to be treated with chlorine until the pipes are complete, Mr Posca said. The school community there will have to use bottled water for a bit longer.

 “We will keep them on bottled water because there is heavy chlorine,” he said.