FULSHEAR, Texas — Students were drenched Thursday morning when a pipe busted at Fulshear High School.
The rush of water sent students and staff members scrambling out of their classrooms.
Several people took videos of what was happening and posted them to social media and sent them to KHOU 11 News.
Concerned parents showed up to see what was happening.
One mother, who wanted to remain anonymous, said her daughter was inside one of the 12 classrooms that were affected.
Lamar Consolidated Independent School District officials said the campus was placed on hold to make sure the students and staff members were safe as the custodial and maintenance crews worked to fix the issue.
Videos posted from inside the school showed what happened. You could see water gushing down from the ceiling as students rushed to get out of the flooded classrooms.
Parents said two emails were sent, the first one alerting them to what happened and a second note to address some of the rumors that were circulating.
"It kind of smelled in the hallways," one student said.
District officials said that despite the rumors, urine and fecal matter weren't in the water that was leaking.
Still, several students left early just to be safe. Parents were also worried.
"I just wanted to be sure it doesn't smell and it's not toxic," a parent said.
In a statement sent to KHOU 11 News, LCISD officials said they wanted to clarify what they called "misinformation" and that the water pipe that busted was only carrying domestic water and their maintenance team responded to the issue immediately to assess the situation and begin necessary repairs. They also said the discolored water was due to debris and there were no health or safety risks.
The district said impacted students were relocated to other parts of the school while parents outside commended campus workers for what they said was a prompt response.
"They're handling it very well. They're very organized. I think they've really stepped up," a parent said.
There were also concerns about the water being shut off and there not being running toilets for kids and staff members.
In an updated email sent by the school principal, he said the water was turned back on everywhere except for the affected areas of the school.
LCISD officials didn't know how long repairs would take.
Here's what was said in one of the letters sent to families from Principal Brian Forshee:
"I wanted to provide a detailed update regarding this morning’s pipe burst. Earlier today, a water pipe in the 1300 hall burst, affecting approximately 12 classrooms. The pipe in question carried only domestic water, and reports of a toilet falling through the ceiling, along with fecal matter and urine pouring down, are completely inaccurate. Our maintenance team assessed the situation promptly and confirmed these facts.
"We are aware of the rumors circulating regarding the infrastructure issue at Fulshear High School that occurred this morning. We want to clarify the situation and address the misinformation directly. The campus was placed on a HOLD to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff as we resolved the issue. The classes that were in the impacted area were relocated to other areas in the building.
"In addition, the water is back on at our campus, except for in the two hallways where the incident occurred while repairs are underway.
"We appreciate the community’s understanding and patience as we work to maintain a safe learning environment for all. School is still operating today and will be open tomorrow.
"Please do not hesitate to contact me at BForshee@LCISD.org should you have further questions or need additional details."