The Bethel School District in Washington has closed ten area schools today due to a report of possible E. coli-contaminated tap water.

The following information has been posted on the Bethel School District website (please visit www.bethelsd.org to read the entire announcement):

District schools in Spanaway will be closed on Thursday, following reports of potential contamination by Spanaway Water Company.

The schools are Clover Creek, Camas Prairie, Thompson, Spanaway Elementary, Evergreen, Naches Trail, Cedarcrest, Spanaway Jr. High, Spanaway Lake, Challenger, Thompson Preschool, Spanaway Lake Preschool, Evergreen Head Start, and the Lab Building (transition program).

All other district schools will remain open.

Health officials urged the closing of Spanaway-area schools late Wednesday, based on the difficulty of serving sanitary food without a fresh water supply, as well as other safety concerns.

The Spanaway Water Company also issued a press release (see www.spanaway-water.org/news_waterboil.html for entire release) dated October 3, 2007 stating:

Spanaway Water Company, located in the Spanaway Area south of Tacoma, effective immediately, is issuing a precautionary boil water notice to all customers of Spanaway Water Company. If you are unsure whether you are served by Spanaway Water Company, please check one of your water company’s bill receipts to confirm that you are served by Spanaway Water Company. This boil water notice will remain in effect until repeat samples and confirmation water quality samples confirm that the water is safe to drink.

The water company advises residents that when using tap water they should:

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