Drought threatens San Juan school

The drinking fountains at La Sal Elementary School in San Juan County have been turned off since February.

Drought over the past five years has steadily depleted the flow of water from Coyote Spring in the La Sal Mountains to the 20-student school in La Sal. Now the school may have to close unless an alternative source can be found — even though the well water now being used for washing and flushing is considered clean enough to drink by many community residents.

"We drink it and don't worry about it," said Hardy Redd, owner of the alternative well and the ranch Coyote Spring is on.

La Sal Elementary, now on summer break, spent nearly $200 a month last spring on bottled water from Culligan in Moab, said Yvette Hass, Culligan office manager. Aside from the drinkability issue, though, officials say the school needs a more reliable and plentiful source of water.

According to Jeff Bailey, buildings and grounds director for the San Juan School District, the well has tested safe for drinking but it was not built according to state standards for public drinking water and cannot be approved for the school.

"I'm comfortable that it's as clean as the water you and I drink," he said.

Ken Brown, director of the state's Division of Drinking Water, said wells must have a special seal around the casing of the pipe to keep out contaminants in order to be approved. Otherwise pesticides used in agriculture or leaking septic tanks could contaminate the water.

Piping was installed in Coyote Spring 40 years ago to supply water to the school. Since then it has also served about 10 to 12 houses, a post office, a grocery store and Redd's ranch with water, he said. Now that the spring is down to an unusable trickle, Redd redirected water from a well built by a mining company to the community and school. Redd purchased the well to supply his daughter's home several years ago and her family has always drunk the water without problems. Now everyone who got drinking water from Coyote Spring is drinking the well water — except the school.

"It's a little dicier," Brown said of the risk that such a well will continue to provide potable water.

Besides safety, the regulations also avoid future problems that might cost more than doing it right at the beginning, he said.

The school district plans to drill another well for the school. Although Redd's well is supplying water now, there's no guarantee that it will continue to be reliable or that Redd will continue to supply the school.