Superintendent of the Byron Union School District, Crystal Castaneda, didn’t think doing research on water wells would be part of her job.
“We have to run, maintain, and make sure it’s always up to standard by all the codes for the state,” says Castaneda.
In rural school districts like Bryon, deep in eastern Contra Costa County and surrounded by farmland, well water is Excelsior Middle School’s only source of water. But the well is decades old. First, the pump broke. Then, they discovered a leaking pipes.
“We are seeing a lot of additional new holes coming in. And the well is deteriorating and caving in on itself. So, that well has been deemed no longer a good source for water,” explains Castaneda.
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The water is safe for students to wash their hands. But not safe to drink. There is bottled water for students and re-fill stations around the middle school campus. A new water well will cost upwards of $1 million – a huge amount for a small district. So, on the ballot is Measure R, a school bond measure that would raise $24 million for improvements.