Coliforms detected in school’s water supply

The detection of coliforms in the water at the Golden Horn Elementary School has students and staff drinking bottled water for now.

The detection of coliforms in the water at the Golden Horn Elementary School has students and staff drinking bottled water for now.

Dr. Brendan Hanley, the territory’s medical health officer, emphasized in an interview this morning the presence of coliforms is not associated with the E.coli bacteria, the disease-causing bacteria which can be fatal.

The presence of E.coli is related to fecal contamination, which is definitely not the case at Golden Horn Elementary, he said.

Coliform bacteria, Hanley added, are an environmental contamination that is all around us, everyday.

Contamination of the school’s water supply could have been caused by something as simple as dust getting into the system somehow, he said.

Hanley said an investigation showed there was no fault with the chloronation system nor the delivery system provided by the commercial supplier, Glacier Water Services.

The first test conducted last Friday at the Carcross cutoff-area school showed a positive result for the coliform, Hanley explained.

Under Canadian water quality guidelines, he said, a positive test for coliforms requires a second test, which was conducted Monday morning. That test also came back positive.

Hanley said the requirement under the guidelines to conduct a followup test, and not immediately shut down the water system, says something about the threat of coliforms to public health.

Under the guidelines, however, the second positive test that occurred Monday morning did require remedial action be taken to clean the system, as well as an investigation to try to determine its origin.

It also requires two back-to-back followup tests - no more than 24 hours apart - after the water system has been cleaned and flushed, to ensure there are no more coliforms present, he said.

The health officer said the first followup water test was conducted this morning, and the second will be taken tomorrow, with results likely available the day after that.

“So if everything is fine, we should be good to go by Friday.“

Department of Education superintendent Dave Sloan said this morning the 145 students were told Monday to stop drinking the water, and bottled water was brought in that day.

There have also been four water coolers provided and additional soap dispensers in the washrooms to emphasize the importance of proper hand washing, even though transmission of coliforms is through ingestion, he said.

The school was sending letters home with the students today.