MATHEWS CO., Va. — Schools in the Mathews County Public Schools district will be closed for the rest of the week while leaders confirm the safety of the drinking water at Mathews Elementary School.
The drinking water concerns stem from the domestic water supply at the elementary school possibly being exposed to the circulated water supplying the boiler system in the school.
The district says the potential exposure could have occurred through a specific valve. Leaders added that, "although the valve has remained closed, its existence as a bridge between the two independent systems is not a best practice."
The district's schools are expected to reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 25 as the safety of the drinking water is looked into. Leaders say this includes inspecting the boiler system and analyzing the water quality.
"While we anticipate these tests will confirm the safety of our system, the mere existence of the possibility of an issue was enough to drive our decision to take these steps. We sincerely apologize for the disruption and appreciate your continued support of our school division," a social media post from the district says.
