Buses line the drive at Milford School near the location where a water line break caused a bit of inconvenience for staff and students.
Students at Milford Elementary School returned to school Friday for a third day without potable water from the school drinking fountains.
According to assistant principal Ryan Connor, early Wednesday morning staff noticed water at the southeast end of the elementary school. Upon further inspection by staff, the leak was caused by a break in the water main.
In response to what was described as a “major water leak” in a Facebook posting by the school, the corporation maintenance staff delivered bottles of water and several water coolers to students and staff.
The repairs to the water main were completed Wednesday afternoon and water was restored to the kindergarten through eighth grade building.
In accordance with the school safety procedures the water will be tested before students and staff are allowed to drink from the fountains or use the water for food preparation. The assistant principal added the holiday weekend may delay test results.
According to Randy Veach, Milford utilities superintendent, the water testing was not conducted by the Milford Utilities Department.
Until further notice the school will continue to provide bottled water to students.
Wawasee Community School Corp. superintendent Dr. Tom Edington reported there will be two samples of water tested. He stated; “We are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of students and faculty. It doesn’t hurt to take those extra steps.” Edington confirmed one test sample was taken Thursday with the results expected Friday. A second sample will be collected Friday. Those results will not be available until Tuesday due to the holiday weekend.
Connor explained the cafeteria staff are using 5 gallon bottles of water to prepare meals and meals are served on Styrofoam trays. Edington added, “The pans and cookware are being washed and sanitized with the bottled water. The kitchen staff have been well trained to handle this type of situation.”
At this time the southeast entrance to Milford School is used as an emergency exit only. The outside maintenance and sidewalk repairs will not be completed until after the school year has ended. The last student day is Thursday, May 28.