November 11, 2025
Good evening:
We have worked most of the day gathering information from NH Department of Environmental Services and our local fire department to best understand what is happening with our water supply in town. As it stands now, there is a NO CONSUMING mandate for all public tap water, however the water can be used to bathe and clean.
Our food service director has worked with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as well as the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and has received guidance on preparing food safely for all students and staff, safely cleaning all cookware, and providing fresh water for students and staff in the cafeteria. As an additional safeguard, we will be moving to disposable plates and utensils for Thursday's meal services (tomorrow's plates and utensils will not be affected as they were cleaned on Monday prior to the issue arising).
Principal Megan Pouliot has already purchased several cases of water for students and staff to drink during the school day, and the fire department has a large shipment of gallons of water that are available to all residents. - please stop by the Winchester Safety Center to pick it up. Please feel free to send your child to school with bottled water, as well.
DES spent the day sampling water all around town today and all of the samples are being tested in Concord at their labs overnight. We should know what we are dealing with by morning. I will certainly share any more information that I receive.
As it stands now, school is safe to open and operate. Food service has their plan for safely preparing meals, including using disposable plates and utensils as an additional caution. Director Kevin Seaman and his facilities team will be closing off the drinking supply so that no one can consume tap water, and Mrs. Pouliot will be reminding all classroom teachers to consistently (through the day) remind students that they cannot drink any water unless it is what we or you provide for them in bottles or personal drinking vessels.
We ask that you please prepare your children to not drink any tap water from water dispensers or faucets until further notice, and to only drink water that is provided in a bottle.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us back at dryan@wnhsd.org or mpouliot@wnhsd.org.
Thank you and have a pleasant rest of your evening.
We have worked most of the day gathering information from NH Department of Environmental Services and our local fire department to best understand what is happening with our water supply in town. As it stands now, there is a NO CONSUMING mandate for all public tap water, however the water can be used to bathe and clean.
Our food service director has worked with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as well as the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and has received guidance on preparing food safely for all students and staff, safely cleaning all cookware, and providing fresh water for students and staff in the cafeteria. As an additional safeguard, we will be moving to disposable plates and utensils for Thursday's meal services (tomorrow's plates and utensils will not be affected as they were cleaned on Monday prior to the issue arising).
Principal Megan Pouliot has already purchased several cases of water for students and staff to drink during the school day, and the fire department has a large shipment of gallons of water that are available to all residents. - please stop by the Winchester Safety Center to pick it up. Please feel free to send your child to school with bottled water, as well.
DES spent the day sampling water all around town today and all of the samples are being tested in Concord at their labs overnight. We should know what we are dealing with by morning. I will certainly share any more information that I receive.
As it stands now, school is safe to open and operate. Food service has their plan for safely preparing meals, including using disposable plates and utensils as an additional caution. Director Kevin Seaman and his facilities team will be closing off the drinking supply so that no one can consume tap water, and Mrs. Pouliot will be reminding all classroom teachers to consistently (through the day) remind students that they cannot drink any water unless it is what we or you provide for them in bottles or personal drinking vessels.
We ask that you please prepare your children to not drink any tap water from water dispensers or faucets until further notice, and to only drink water that is provided in a bottle.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us back at dryan@wnhsd.org or mpouliot@wnhsd.org.
Thank you and have a pleasant rest of your evening.