Students at Middletown High School arrived at school Jan. 28 to find that all the sinks and water fountains had been covered and marked, “Do not use.”
The cause of the discoloration was not immediately known and administrators were hesitant to jump to any conclusions.
“We turned on the water this morning and saw that the water was discolored,” said Assistant Principal Chris Bittner. “Right now we are testing the water as a precautionary measure.”
Measures were taken to deal with any inconvenience caused by the water situation. Hand sanitizer was placed in all bathrooms, and gallon jugs of clean water were delivered to the MHS cafeteria as well as cups to make up for the lack of water fountains. Luches were prepared off-site and delivered to the school. Toilets were still able to flush.
MHS junior Mary Kate Frey was surprised, “I’m really [mad]. It’s disgusting,” said Frey. “There’s sanitizer in the bathroom, but it’s still not the same as actually washing your hands. I just don’t think we should be here right now.”
Even the swimming pool was drained and was being refilled so that the swimming team could practice. Early in the day, it was unclear whether after-school activities would go on as planned.
The administration has not made it clear when the problem will be resolved, but is optimistic to have the water fixed and running by the start of school on Jan. 29.
