Oregon-Davis Hopes Second Well Test will Re-Affirm Water Quality

Oregon-Davis School Board members (seated) Andrea McIntosh, Shirley Budka. (standing) Christopher Lawrence, Kurt Hayes, Lee Nagai
Oregon-Davis School Board members (seated) Andrea McIntosh, Shirley Budka. (standing) Christopher Lawrence, Kurt Hayes, Lee Nagai

The Oregon-Davis School Corporation is waiting on the results of a follow-up well water test before returning students to a bit of normalcy.

The school corporation has been supplying students with bottles of water after the main well pump ceased working. Those looking for solutions to the problem over the last couple of days suggest iron and sediment froze the main well pump.

Superintendent Don Harman says things are operational once again.

“We’re back up and running,” says Harman. “We’re looking at replacing the motor in our main well, but we do have our other well – which is an eight inch well.”

Once the main pump was frozen by the deposits, the electricity intended for its operation was sent back into the building, causing a power outage. That lasted nearly two hours before it could be restored, leading Harman to remark it was good students were out of class.

In the meantime, Oregon-Davis tested its water quality once with quality results. A second test was also conducted with the results expected back sometime Tuesday afternoon.

Harman says until those tests have been returned, both the high school and elementary school will continue providing its students with water. 

“At the high school, we’ve got the water dispensers with cups for high school students and we have bottled water for students at the elementary school,” says Harman. “So we’ll do the same tomorrow. We’ll get by. We’ve been working together.”

The school board toured facilities Monday evening to assess the problem and consider long-term solutions.