Students at one Butler Area School District elementary school will continue to drink bottled water as crews work to address plumbing issues.
Last month, a Center Township Elementary School teacher discovered ‘black particles’ in the school’s water, which prompted administrators to notify parents and shut off the water until it could be tested.
A water engineering firm, Gannett Fleming, tested the water and found most of the sample results to be safe, but one sample showed levels of aluminum, copper and iron ‘slightly over’ the Department of Environmental Protection’s limits. Center Township’s principal said that while these elevated levels don’t pose a health concern, they do indicate a need to address a potential plumbing issue.
Additional testing will be done.
“In the meantime, bottled water will continue to be provided to students and staff for drinking,” Principal Jeffrey Mathieson said in a letter to parents. “The water engineers indicated that we could continue to utilize sink water for handwashing and that restroom usage could continue as normal.”
Mathieson said the water engineers believe the black specs could have been caused by a power outage.
“Although the flecks are not pleasing to see in the water, there is no danger associated with them,” Eric Buzza from Gannett Fleming said.
