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Sewage System Maintenance and Response

The Elizabethtown Area School District is committed to maintaining safe, healthy learning environments in all of our schools. Occasionally, certain plumbing or sewage systems may experience backups or related issues, as can happen in large, complex facilities. When this occurs, the District takes immediate action to protect students and staff.

How We Respond

When a sewage backup or related plumbing issue is identified:

  • The affected area is immediately closed to students and staff.
  • The Facilities team works to identify the problem and resolve it either internally within EASD or, when necessary, by bringing in an outside contractor.
  • After the issue is resolved, the area undergoes thorough cleaning, sanitization, and inspection following health and safety guidelines.
  • Any required reports or documentation are completed as part of our response process.
  • The area remains closed until it is confirmed to be safe for reopening.

Prevention and Ongoing Monitoring

Our Facilities Department regularly:

  • Monitors plumbing and drainage systems throughout all buildings.
  • Schedules preventive maintenance and repairs as needed to reduce the likelihood of future incidents.
  • Works closely with certified environmental and cleaning specialists to ensure all response procedures meet industry standards.

Communication and Transparency

If an incident occurs that could impact school operations, families and staff are notified in a timely manner. 

Mistruths and Clarifications

Claim : Students are walking through sewage.

Fact : False - Any affected area is immediately closed off, cleaned, and sanitized before students return.

Claim: Sewage issues happen every day.

Fact: False - Plumbing backups are isolated, rare events and are addressed promptly.

Claim: Sewage issues are not isolated to just bathrooms.

Fact: False - With the exception of several incidents that were quickly addressed, most sewage-related concerns have been limited to bathroom areas and have not affected classrooms or other parts of the buildings.

Claim: A strong sewage smell permeates the building every day all day.

Fact: False - While occasional odors have been detected near specific restrooms during maintenance or after plumbing issues, there is no evidence of a widespread or persistent smell throughout the building.