Recent tests at Buxton’s Hanson Elementary School and Bonny Eagle Middle School indicated coliform bacteria was present in the water.
However, a school administrator said the presence of the bacteria didn’t warrant alarm and said the water was still safe to drink.
“They didn’t find anything worrisome,” such as E-coli bacteria, said Suzanne Lukas, superintendent of School Administrative District 6, about the state water tests.
Parents of children at the schools were notified that coliform bacteria were found in the tests. A notice posted at the Hanson School, which is located in Buxton Center, said the bacteria had been found in samples collected between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30.
“This is not an emergency. Total coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves,” read the notice.
Lukas said the state report indicated the water is safe to drink, and the water supply at the Hanson School has been treated with chlorine. But the state will continue to monitor water at the school. Drinking water at the Hanson School will be tested monthly for the next six months.
Lindy Moceus from the Maine Drinking Water Program said samples of water in July and August at Bonny Eagle Middle School on Sokokis Trail in Buxton also revealed presence of coliform bacteria. The state sent the school district notices of the violations. But a sample taken at Bonny Eagle Middle School on Sept. 12 was “clean,” according to Moceus.
Moceus said that the state usually doesn’t issue a “boil water” order for the presence of coliform bacteria. Coliform bacteria in the water requires that the school district “shock” a well with bleach to kill the bacteria.
The notice posted at the Hanson School said coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment. “Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems,” the notice read.
The posted notice said coliforms are usually a sign that there could be a problem with the water treatment or distribution system. Lukas said the problem could possibly have originated with ground water seeping into wells.
Moceus said the problem could stem from a problem with a well casing. If a problem continued, she said the installation of a chlorinator would be required.
She said the incidents in Buxton did not indicate a serious health threat. Moceus said that E Coli, an indicator of fecal matter, was not present in water samples at either school.
However, the notice posted at Hanson School said those with specific health concerns should consult a doctor. “People with severely compromised immune systems, infants and some elderly may be at increased risks,” the notice said.
The Hanson School could be replaced in the future. and SAD 6 school officials will hear state plans for the school on Friday, Oct. 7. Lukas and Helen Vadnais, SAD 6 business manager, will meet with state officials in Augusta to discuss elementary school plans for the district.
Hanson School, which was built in 1913, and the adjacent Jewett Elementary School were rated second on a statewide list last spring for help. Options include renovating or enlarging the Hanson-Jewett schools complex or consolidating three Buxton elementary schools into one new building. It will “probably be a new building,” Lukas said. But “The scope is still to be seen.”
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