Cobb County (Ga.) district cancels system that uses UV light to sanitize school buildings

The Cobb County (Ga.) school district is parting ways with a company that uses ultraviolet lights to sanitize school buildings.

WSB-TV reports that the district is asking the company, Protek Life, for its money back.

The light system was part of a $12 million Covid-19 mitigation purchase by the district.

The UV lights are supposed to run overnight when no one is in a building. WSB reported last month that the lights malfunctioned at Argyle Elementary School in Smyrna.

The district says a problem with a power source resulted in a “number of UV lights” flickering on and off.

“While we understand and appreciate this hardware failure was limited to Argyle Elementary, the district established very specific and high safety expectations during the RFP process," the district said. "Based on that incident … we have determined ProTek’s hardware does not meet the safety requirement described in and required by out RFP process."

Parents had begun to call school board members to express their safety concerns. Wednesday, the district stated it no longer uses the company.

“We have informed ProTek Life that we are stopping any further installations of ProTek’s UV lighting,” according to the email.