HARRISON — Students at the Harrison Elementary School are drinking bottled water after the discovery of total coliform bacteria in four of five water samples tested Aug. 24.

"It is not a do-not-drink-order. We just went overboard and provided them with bottle water, SAD 17 Director of Facilities David Marshall said. "The notice (from the Maine Drinking Water Program officials) says you can drink the water."

The notice requires that the public be informed.

Four samples were taken Aug. 11 at the school and they all came back negative, Marshall said. The water did not test positive for E. coli. It also did not test positive for uranium, which was discovered in the school's water last year but has not resurfaced in testing since a new filtering system was put in place to take care of the problem, he said.

Marshall said the positive test result could simply be a result of improper testing procedures, such as a finger touching the water sample, or other causes. The water is being retested now and the results are due Tuesday, he said.

Meanwhile parents have been notified of the situation in a letter from Principal Kim Ramharter who also said officials decided to take the extra precaution of bottled water to "err on the side of safety."

The bottle water, which is being donated by Poland Spring Water Co., will continue until negative test results come back. If the results Tuesday are positive, the school's well will be cleaned with chlorine and the water retested. The state would also put the school on a monthly water test for the next three months.

Elementary schools in Hebron, Waterford and Otisfield also have their own wells. Other schools are on town water.

ldixon@sunjournal.com