BOTTLED water is being provided to students at all of Exeter's PFI schools while water quality tests continue.
Devon County Council has described the move as a precautionary measure after Legionella bacteria was detected at West Exe Technology College and high levels of metals were found in the water supply at St Peter's C of E High School.
Legionella – which can cause illnesses including the potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease – has not been found at any other Exeter school.
Efforts to eradicate the bacteria at West Exe are continuing after a deep clean during the Easter holidays. And while work goes on to resolve the long-running issue affecting tap water at St Peter's, bottled water is also being provided to staff and students at St James School, Isca College of Media Arts, St Luke's Science and Sports College and Wynstream Primary School. All the schools were built or rebuilt by Carillion under a £79m private finance initiative (PFI) contract between 2004 and 2006.
A council spokesman said: "No positive Legionella results have been identified at any of the other schools. As a precautionary measure all PFI schools have been provided with access to bottled water."
West Exe headteacher Vicki Carah wrote to parents last term telling them she had been reassured it was safe to keep the school open while remedial works were carried out.
On the latest situation at the school, the council spokesman said: "The measures put into place following routine sampling results that we received in February have substantially reduced the presence of Legionella bacteria at the school.
"The measures currently in place are now purely precautionary and are in excess of measures that would normally be in place in a building with this type and level of bacteria, especially as Legionella bacteria is routinely found in buildings as it occurs naturally in water supplies.
"Devon County Council continues to monitor the range of remedial work that is being undertaken to bring a speedy conclusion to this situation and to ensure that safety arrangements are in place.
"All building users have access to bottled water and temporary sinks for hand washing."
Carillion is also installing special filters to some shower heads – of the kind normally used in hospitals – to allay any safety concerns.
At St Peter's, bottled water was being supplied as a precaution.