The Mathews County Board of Supervisors issued a statement on Monday regarding potential ethylene glycol exposure at Mathews Elementary School. This is the substance identified in the boiler system that, due to a questionable valve between boiler and drinking water, caused schools to be closed for several days.

According to the statement, the school superintendent and the school board took immediate action regarding the concerns and, out of an abundance of caution, cancelled school.

James R. Reed & Associates was hired to perform testing and, based upon the results, there does not appear to be any safety issue with the drinking water, said the release.

All three county schools were closed on both Thursday, Jan. 16 and Friday, Jan. 17 over water concerns. The division was closed on the following Monday, Jan. 20, due to the King Day holiday. Schools remained closed the following day, Tuesday, Jan. 21, because of the ongoing water issue. The following day, school was set to resume; but snow caused the cancellation, with school again cancelled on Thursday, Jan. 23 because of the snow. Classes resumed on Friday.

In order to get a quick turnaround, a staff member followed the directions provided by James R. Reed & Associates and collected the samples, said the release. Now that laboratory testing indicates that the drinking water is safe so that students can return to school, the board of supervisors has requested that the school board hire another lab to collect and analyze the results.

Having a second independent confirmation is not only best practice, said the release, but it will also “hopefully erase any doubts that anyone might have.”

The Mathews Board of Supervisors has been able to build a positive working relationship with the Mathews County School Board and is confident that the school board will take appropriate steps, said the release. However, it added, “supervisors have received a lot of questions from the citizens and is committed to transparency.”

“As information is received from the school board the board will share that information with the public,” said the release. “Toward that end, the board has also requested a full report from the school board as to circumstances surrounding this incident and for the school board’s plan moving forward.”