Canyon Elementary shuts down due to E. Coli
CATALDO — Canyon Elementary School is currently shut down to all students starting today, Nov. 5. The closure comes after the recent discovery of E. Coli during a routine water test last month.
After several weeks of searching for the specific cause of the contamination and finding none — the school will now proceed with fixing issues surrounding the reservoir tank, which officials believe is mostly like where the bacteria is stemming from.
In weeks prior, the tank has been drained and flushed, but has still been unable to successfully produce a clean water sample.
Maintenance crews are now working today to restore possible problem areas of the tank, including sealing off the bottom of the tank, which has an original supply line to the school's old well.
The area will be sealed with concrete approved by the NSF 61 safety standards, which are the American National Standards addressing the human health effects of drinking water system components.
They will then fill the tank with a high degree of chlorine, and proceed to run the chlorine through the school's entire water system. After the chlorine has sat for a 24-hour period, it will be drained and flushed several more times until it is no longer detected in a water sample.
A new water sample will then be taken to detect whether or not the system has been cleared of all E. Coli bacteria.
Kellogg School District Superintendent Lance Pearson said that the whole project is set to be finished by Monday, with hopes of getting the kids back to school by Tuesday of next week at the earliest.
“It’s not ideal,” Pearson explained. “If we don't get a clear sample then we have to make a decision on whether to keep trying to flush the system or whether more repairs need to be made.”
Canyon Elementary students will be back to distance learning until further notice and have been sent home with at-home work packets to last them through the end of next week if necessary.
“I just hope that this does it,” Pearson said. “Because if not, then we’re back to the drawing board.”
Canyon Elementary School will be updating parents throughout the process to keep them informed on when school will resume.
