CONNEAUTVILLE — Students, faculty and staff at Conneaut Valley High School are drinking bottled water after a routine test revealed the presence of E. coli bacteria in the school’s water supply, Conneaut School District Superintendent Richard Rossi said Tuesday afternoon.

The water is being treated and bottled water will continue to be used until the tests show an acceptable level for two consecutive days, Rossi said, noting that letters have been sent home to parents explaining the situation.

Although drinking was restricted to bottled water as soon as the problem was discovered, Rossi said Tuesday that water supplied by the school’s well continues to be used for both showers in the locker rooms and washing dishes in the cafeteria. According to Rossi, the water is safe for dishwashing because the high temperatures used would kill any E. coli present.

Although the superintendent wouldn’t specifically comment on whether anyone has gotten ill because of exposure to the contaminated water, he stressed that the problem was revealed through a routine test.

Rossi emphasized that the problem is confined to Conneaut Valley High School, which is supplied by a nearby well. Water for the nearby Conneaut Valley Elementary School is supplied by the Springboro public water system.

Efforts to expand the Springboro water line along State Route 18 all the way to the high school came to a halt after objections were raised by owners of property along the proposed route, including family members of former Conneaut School Board member John Burnham, who was defeated in his November 2007 bid for re-election. When the installation of the proposed line across the contested land was stopped as the result of a court ruling, Springboro Water Authority extended its line only as far as the elementary school.

Rossi noted the district is still trying to get the water line extended between the elementary school and the high school. “We’re trying to get it settled,” he said.

Jean Shanley can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at jshanley@meadvilletribune.com. Mary Spicer also contributed to this story.