‘Discolored water,’ remains a concern for parents and staff at Tacoma elementary school
Some parents and staff continue to raise concerns about the ‘discolored water’ coming out of taps from a Tacoma elementary school.
KIRO 7 first reported about the issue last week, after parents expressed their frustration about the water from the ‘Round Building’ at Birney Elementary School.
On Thursday April 11th, Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) told KIRO 7 they were working closely with Tacoma Public Utilities. In a statement, the district said in part quote:
“We’ve sent water samples to a lab for testing and we’re working closely with Tacoma Public Utilities and experts to ensure the safety of our students and staff. TPU has been conducting water flushing in the area and has expressed that Tacoma’s water meets all federal and state drinking water regulations and is safe to drink.”
However, Tacoma Public Utilities reached out to KIRO 7 days later saying TPU didn’t know about this water discoloration issue until the news report came out.
“The first I heard of the issue at Birney was, I believe, last Thursday,” said Scott Hallenberg who is an Operations Manager for Tacoma Public Utilities.
Parents and staff at Birney Elementary have told KIRO 7 that the water issue has been a problem since mid-February.
“We have students that are out there all day that don’t have access to the main building. And our Vice Principal, Britni Proudman, and the teachers out there had been providing them water out of their own pockets to drink,” said one teacher at Birney who wants to remain anonymous.
“The water hasn’t been deemed safe or usable, as of yet, for them to either consume or wash their hands. So, they’ve been using hand sanitizer to wash their hands,” the teacher added.
Pictures taken from inside the school’s ‘Round building’ show caution tape wrapped around the taps to prevent kids from using the ‘brown’ water.
“It’s so concerning, because we have students that are out there all day that don’t have access to the main building,” the teacher explained. “That’s why it’s so upsetting is because there’s a large amount of students who don’t have access to clean or safe water.”
TPS responded to KIRO 7 in an updated statement on Wednesday, April 17th:
“We are aware of the concerns regarding the discolored water at Birney’s round building and want to assure everyone that we are taking this matter seriously. On April 11, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD) visually assessed water turbidity and discoloration. No violations were reported. Additionally, Tacoma Public Schools took water samples on April 1, which have been sent to a third-party lab for analysis; results take 4-5 weeks.
At the time water discoloration was first noticed, Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) had been conducting water flushing in the area, discoloration from flushing usually resolves within minutes or in rarer cases hours, the flushing concluded in March. TPU has expressed that Tacoma’s water quality exceeds standards set by regulators and TPU remains committed to providing some of the safest, cleanest drinking water in the nation.
All students and staff have access to filtered water in the main building. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone at Birney. We are grateful to TPU and TPCHD for their partnership and service to our district and the community.”
Hallenerg explained to KIRO 7 that their routine water flushing and the ‘discolored’ water are unrelated.
“We intentionally go out there proactively to try to lift up those particles, get them out of a hydrant control, clean them all clean the main out,” Hallenberg added. “The flushing will clear up literally within minutes to hours at the very most.”
Recent emails from the school’s Principal Ronel Balatbat to parents noted that the ‘water is safe for use.’
The district told KIRO 7 they took water samples on April 1st, but it could take four to five weeks to get results.
Parents and staff say the mixed messaging is misleading.
“We’re confused on how he can say that it is safe and tell parents that, you know, because we don’t have those results yet,” said one teacher.
