School water sparks worries

By JO-MARIE BROWN

The Ministry of Health is worried about the number of schools which may have contaminated drinking water.

A 1999 national review of the microbiological quality of drinking water showed that of the 589 schools with independent water supplies surveyed, only 78 monitored their water quality and just eight of those passed microbiological standards.

Drinking water was contaminated with faecal coliforms in 27 per cent of the schools tested.

The report said this was "particularly worrying as it shows that the microbiological quality of school water supplies remains worse than that of the community at large."

As a whole, 18 per cent, or 598,000, New Zealanders covered by the review were supplied with drinking water that failed to meet faecal coliform criteria.

The ministry's chief adviser safety and regulations, Dr Bob Boyd, said diseases that could be spread by contaminated water included cholera, typhoid, salmonellosis, giardiosis, and cryptosporidiosis and campylobacteriosis.

Though most schools drew water from town supplies, which were largely safe, the review said the high incidence of faecal coliforms in schools with their own water supplies was probably because 53 per cent of them used water off the roof.

While people believed rainwater was pure, roof water samples frequently contained faecal coliforms from animal and bird droppings.

Many schools also used UV treatment systems, which were often poorly maintained and did not work effectively as a result.

Ministry of Education spokesman Brian Mitchell said most schools' water was safe. The problem was that many schools were simply failing to monitor their supply.

Guidelines were sent to all school principals and boards of trustees last year to tell them of their obligations to meet the country's drinking-water standards.

The 1999 review said new drinking-water treatment systems were installed in 50 schools last year.