A break in the water main closed down William E. Hay High School in Stettler on Monday.
Construction crews were working on the school’s major modernization Sunday, when a bucket on a tractor ruptured the line on soft ground in the area of the north entrance, said principal Norbert Baharally.
“Water did not get into the school,” he said.
With no running water and flush toilets at school, classes were cancelled for the 550 students from grades 9 to 12 who were notified by the school Sunday night as crews repaired the damage on Monday.
“We have an automated phone-out system and we also notified the local radio station,” said Baharally.
Many students were also informed by their friends by word of mouth or various communications devices.
About 70 per cent of teachers reported to work on Monday, while the others worked from home, said Baharally.
Classes were back to normal Tuesday morning.