San Ysidro School District officials found heavy metals and bacteria at several water fixtures at La Mirada Elementary School. District officials said aging water faucets are to blame.
Smythe Elementary and San Ysidro Middle School may have a similar problem, prompting authorities to shut off those taps as well while the district investigates.
“We don’t have any results back from the testing that we did at all the faucets as well. So, in the meantime our kids can enjoy water through a bottled source without having to be concerned about anything that might be harmful to their health,” said Julio Fonseca, San Ysidro School District superintendent.
Shutting off the school’s water is a precaution district officials are taking while the problem gets fixed. The district sent a letter to parents of all the students at the schools to explain the situation. The superintendent wants to clear up any possible misunderstandings.
“It’s not coming from the water source. It’s just because the fixtures are so old. Our schools have been up there since 1973. And little was done to change those things and now it’s something that we’re addressing rather aggressively,” Fonseca said.
Faucets at the rest of the district’s schools are more modern and do not contain heavy metals.
