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Superintendent outlines timeline after boiler-room tests closed elementary schools
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Daniel detailed a Jan. 13–late‑January timeline of leaking boiler and chilled‑water pipes, expedited testing, temporary school closures Jan. 16–17 and emergency valve replacements; two lab tests showed no ethylene glycol in domestic hot water, and the division added backflow protections and scheduled further inspections.
Superintendent Dr. Daniel presented a day‑by‑day account of maintenance, testing and decisions after leaks in the elementary‑school boiler room prompted temporary closure of buildings in mid‑January.
Dr. Daniel said county maintenance and contracted HVAC staff first inspected the boiler room Jan. 14, then contracted James R. Reed & Associates for expedited lab testing. On Jan. 16–17 the division closed schools to students and staff while it collected samples and pursued cleanup options after initial on‑site contractor screening and lab communications raised concerns about ethylene glycol in system piping. “We closed school on 16–17 based on the potential exposure,” Dr. Daniel said.
The superintendent said a miscommunication about which samples contained ethylene glycol led leadership to treat hot‑water lines in hallways as potentially contaminated; subsequent review of lab data clarified that ethylene glycol was found where expected inside the boiler/chilled‑water circuit and not in the domestic hot‑water supply. “Two water tests showed no evidence of ethylene glycol in domestic hot water supply,” Dr. Daniel told the board.
Corrective steps described included replacing an existing backflow valve, installing a second backflow valve as a fail‑safe, conducting additional third‑party sampling this week, and scheduling a VACOR risk‑assessment analyst visit Feb. 11 to assess procedures and training. The division also engaged the Virginia Department of Health Office of Water Quality and its insurance carrier, and sought estimates to replace leaking pipe seals and to remove ethylene glycol from the HVAC system if needed.
Dr. Daniel said the division is considering an annual valve‑inspection contract and exploring conversion from ethylene glycol to propylene glycol (a safer alternative) where feasible, noting that draining and refilling the entire system would be required for such a change. He also said principals developed classroom‑relocation plans quickly so the elementary school could reopen as soon as tests were interpreted and cleanup steps put in place.
Board members and public commenters later asked why past inspections had not caught the backflow connection; the superintendent said he was still investigating whether historical valve inspections and paperwork were missing. A public commenter later urged the board to ensure cross‑connection and backflow programs meet Virginia Department of Health requirements.
Next steps the superintendent outlined include the third independent water test, the VACOR analyst visit, documentation for the Virginia Department of Health, and development of a regular valve inspection contract.
