HANNAH GOTO

NEWS EDITOR

   The city of Gulf Breeze sent out on official “boil water” notice to both Gulf Breeze High, Gulf Breeze Middle, Gulf Breeze elementary, and the Subway across the street effective Sept 11, 2019. 

   While water fountains and bottle refilling stations alike were open on Sept 11, students at the high school, middle school, and elementary school level were only told to not consume or expose themselves to water the following day. 

   This ban is due to an alleged broken water main that led to the four facilities and possible bacterial contamination. For this reason, all students were instructed to not drink or shower at the school, and to bring water bottles if they wanted to drink water at school. After this notice, a notable amount of students began bringing water bottles to school.   

    All water fountains were covered with plastic trash bags that were duct taped to the wall. The fountains in the cafeteria, however, were covered and had a sheet of printer paper with “DO NOT DRINK!” typed out on them, taped up to the wall. 

   The morning of Sept. 12, truckloads of plastic water bottles were hauled to our schools, and distributed throughout. Some teachers were able to get a hold of these cases, although these bottles were gone by third period

    Most of these water bottles ended up in the cafeteria, in between the water fountains previously mentioned, that were possibly there for anyone to take, although no one within the cafeteria was exactly sure. 

   This abrupt change within the school affected several students in unexpected ways. Any sports teams, for example, that worked out in the morning, had no place to shower, as the same water that we drink is also used in the showers. 

   Freshman Jack Gordon, who is on the swim team questions: “Why can’t I shower at school?”

    This was a thought that many morning athletes alike had going through their mind.

   Matthew Rodgerson, a Senior this year had a few things to say on the matter as well: “The ban on water has been terrible, we are now forced to shower under a cold hose at the swim center. We as students shouldn’t be held to these levels.” 

   Stephen Speck was much less bothered by the matter, simply disappointed in the inconvenience of the situation.

  Although the water line break has been established, it is unknown how long this “boil water” notice will continue. Until then, students and staff alike will be bringing reusable water bottles to school, and sports teams will have to shower somewhere else.