Queens NY premise liability: School students sick after drinking bad water

06/02/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Tara Monks // Tara Monks

Queens, NY – Approximately 80 Queens elementary school students were sent to the hospital Tuesday, June 1, 2010, after they reported illnesses associated with drinking contaminated water, as reported by New York Media, LLC.

The students at Public School 20 in Flushing complained their stomachs hurt after drinking from water fountains in a new wing of the school. The children also reported pink water in the schools fountains and toilets.

Officials said the tainted water was the product of a chemical that was dumped into the water supply. A worker employed by Bayside Refrigeration has been labeled the culprit in the case. He reportedly dumped propylene glycol, a sweet tasting substance used in anti-freeze, into the water supply after fixing the school’s air conditioning system.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses took students to area hospitals. The students were taken for mostly precautionary reasons, according to officials. Three students refused medical aid.

Investigators stated they did not believe the tainted water supply made it out of the school system. They also said they believed the children kept drinking the water because it was sweet.

Deputy Environmental Protection Commissioner Jim Roberts placed blame solely on Bayside Refrigeration, stating, “The company clearly made a mistake.”

All children are expected to fully recover.

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