The South Butler County School District is still experiencing challenges that need to be addressed with water supply.
According to Superintendent Dr. David Foley, recent tests for the presence of Legionella bacteria, which can cause Legionaires Disease, continue to detect elevated readings at the South Butler Primary and Intermediate Elementary Schools.
Because the bacteria grow in warm water, the hot water has remained shut off in those two buildings and students will continue to wash their hands with soap and cold water. Hand sanitizer has also been provided to avoid residual germs.
Although no issues have been found at the Middle and High Schools, Foley says that the district is exploring a variety of options to address this problem as well as manage the district’s water in the future.
“We have three different companies that have presented three different options,” Foley said. “The first one is somehting called monocholoramine; that’s injecting a chemical into the water. There’s another strategy called copper silver ionization technique. The third option is called a triple clear filtration system.”
“We’re collecting some prices and trying to figure out our best options. Certainly safety is first, and trying to find an economical approach to deal with the concerns that we have.
Administrators will continue to work with water testing provider Intertek PSI to collect information and keep the board informed.
