On the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 9, an underground pipe burst near the Steel Club, shutting down tap water throughout town. The outage led to the cancellation of several after-school clubs and activities due to the lack of running water. If water service had not been restored by the following morning, school might have been canceled entirely.
Water service was restored later that evening, but due to discoloration, it was not immediately safe to drink. As a result, the borough issued a boil water advisory for Hellertown. Many residents stocked up on bottled water from local stores that night.
Freshman Casey Yardumian said his family was prepared: “We already had some bottled water.” He also shared that he learned about the advisory from his dad. Freshman Aiden Brown added, “We had a lot of water bottles, but I thought the advisory was only for the school. I was not in Hellertown at the time.”
The advisory also caused a few adjustments to school routines. On Friday, Oct. 10, the lunch menu was changed from mac and cheese to prepackaged meals out of an abundance of caution. The school avoided cooking with tap water until it was confirmed safe.
School and district staff implemented several precautions to maintain safety, including closing bathrooms for a short period and limiting water fountain use. While these changes were inconvenient, many students understood that the measures were necessary. Freshman Grace Lehr said the situation made it difficult to get through the school day but appreciated that steps were being taken to keep everyone healthy.
Athletic practices and some after-school activities were adjusted or limited during the advisory to ensure students had safe access to water.
After six days, on Oct. 14, the boil water advisory was lifted once testing confirmed that the water was safe to drink again. Students and residents alike were relieved to return to normal.
“Yes, I was happy,” Brown said when asked about the advisory ending.
Despite the brief disruption, the community and school worked together to ensure safety and adapt to the situation. The experience served as a reminder of how quickly a local issue can affect daily life — and how cooperation and preparedness can make a difference.
