An elementary school in the East Lycoming School District went green by putting in a geothermal system this past summer but neighbors of the school insist since construction began their drinking water has not been the same.

"For the last four months, it's been nothing but chaotic around here," said Sethany Derrick. He lives next door to George Ferrell Elementary School in Picture Rocks. It is where the East Lycoming School District installed a geothermal heating and cooling system in an effort to save on energy costs.

The effects of the drilling for that geothermal system started showing up in her family's water, said Derrick. "The kids were sick. The youngest was sick at least twice a week if not more from just drinking the water," said Derrick.

So Derrick said her tap water was tested. Results said there was bacteria in the water so the family of four stopped drinking from the tap and the school district got involved.

"They kept bringing us bottled water and they didn't tell us anything, never said it was their fault," added Derrick.

Around the same time, neighbor Chris Kilgus and her husband said they started getting sick. They turned to bottled water, fearing what could be in their well water. "Oh no. We haven't drinken tap water in I don't know how long. I wash all our vegetables in that," said Kilgus.

School officials said they have done everything possible to make the water safe, even installing an anti-bacterial system in the Derrick's well.

"We feel responsibility to the community whether it was intentionally caused by the drilling process, by the methods used. Or by an interpretation that it was caused by water flowing under the ground because of the heavy rains this summer," said Dave Maciejewski, business manager for the district.

Recent tests on the wells at the Derrick and Kilgus homes came back clear of contamination however, after another neighbor filed a complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency, an official from the EPA said they will look into the matter.