The Kentucky Division of Water announced Friday that the water at Caldwell County Elementary School is clear for consumption and use, according to a release from Caldwell County Public Schools.
The announcement comes after school officials dismissed all schools on Thursday, March 23, after a contamination issue was found in the premise plumbing at the elementary school. Local water officials reported the contamination was propylene glycol. The Department of Public Health determined that it was safe for students and staff to return to the elementary school on Friday with bottled water used at hand washing stations and to prepare meals.
Testing continued on March 23rd with the Division of Water reporting Ethylene glycol in one of six drinking water locations. On March 24th, a test of the chiller boiler line system was analyzed with some contaminants detected in these samples, including Freon, but no contamination was found in the drinking water system. Multiple tests have been conducted over the past week with the all-clear coming Friday morning.
It was also discovered that the plumbing in Caldwell County Schools is considered a cross connection, which is prohibited by drinking water regulations. It was stressed in order to avoid similar situations in the future, these cross-connections must be eliminated by installing cross-connection control devices that are maintained on a regular basis.
School officials said the final sample results showing the water was clear for consumption and use were received from the Kentucky Division of Water Friday morning and had no detection of propylene glycol.
In Friday’s release, Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Roach thanked the Kentucky Division of Water, along with local and state agencies for the guidance and resources provided to the district.
