Students at NC elementary school advised not to drink water after chemicals found, superintendent says

RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Students and staff at Farmer Elementary School are being advised not to drink the water after chemicals were found this week.

In a statement, Randolph County School System Superintendent Dr. Stephen Gainey said school officials are working on the water issue, and bottled water is available.

Gainey said the Randolph County School System is working with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to fix the problem before the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

The full statement is provided below:

Good evening parents and staff members of Farmer Elementary School,

This is Stephen Gainey. I am calling to make you aware that over the past 24 hours our school system has been dealing with a water issue at Farmer Elementary School. To be more specific, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has identified a high level of c substances in the water supply at Farmer Elementary School. Please know that the school system is working closely with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, state health leaders, and the leaders of the Randolph County Health Department on this issue. As a result, the leadership of the school system has been advised that individuals should not consume the water at Farmer Elementary School at this time. Bottled water has been delivered to the school’s campus to address this restriction on water use. In the next few days, a letter from the school system will be mailed to the homes of all students and staff members at Farmer Elementary School. It also will be posted on the homepage of the school’s webpage. This letter will provide additional information including resources pertaining to PFAS substances in the water supply. Finally, please know that the school system is working closely with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to find a solution to this issue prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

RCSS Superintendent Dr. Stephen Gainey

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.