CROWN POINT | The Crown Point School Board unanimously approved an agreement with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to begin resolving the water problems at MacArthur Elementary School in Cedar Lake.

The agreement calls for the district to provide bottled water at the school, which it began doing a couple of months ago, disconnect all water fountains in the school and connect to a public water system. In addition, even though its well water is disconnected, the district has to regularly test for contaminants and report those results to IDEM.

The issue began several months ago when officials discovered higher than acceptable levels of arsenic in drinking water at the elementary school, which serves more than 560 students, teachers and staff.

Matt Ruess, chief financial officer for the district, said during a School Board meeting Monday he has talked to Cedar Lake officials, a property owner and Robin's Nest Water Co., but they have not yet met as a group.

Ruess said the school district hopes to work out a plan to purchase water from the privately owned water company, which is about 150 yards from the school. He did not have an estimate on the amount of the resulting bill.

Cedar Lake Town Council President Bob Carnahan said the Town Council granted permission for the town to use one route to get water, but Ruess told them it would cost the district too much money.

Carnahan said that's when Ruess began talking to a homeowner to establish a route through the homeowner's property.

"I talked to Matt and the town manager, and Matt said he is talking to a resident on the east side of Fairbanks. No final decision has been reached," Carnahan said, adding he was not aware of the recent IDEM agreement.

Officials from Robin's Nest Water Co. could not be reached for comment.