Lakeland High School lead remediation nearly complete

WANAQUE - Lakeland Regional High School's lead remediation efforts are nearly complete.

A recent retest of water from 19 sinks and drinking fountains found one sink, in the nurse's office, that required further action. An under-the-sink filter has been installed, according to officials.  

The action level for remediation is 15 parts per billion, and the sample result there was 51.9 ppb. Superintendent Hugh Beattie informed district families of the remediation.

School officials also planned to install an under-the-sink filter in one of the kitchen sinks, which came in at 14.1. It's below the threshold for action, but Board of Education member Suzanne Raoul said officials want to be sure.

"We're anticipating that the two under-sink filters that we're putting in will bring these two to zero, and then we're perfect," said Business Administrator Kathryn Davenport at the May 9 school board meeting.

The final testing is planned for Friday, she said.

There were 56 samples taken in the first round of testing, and 17 tested above the lead action level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for lead in drinking water, Beattie wrote in a March 21 letter.

He said that before the first round of testing, eight of the older water coolers were replaced with new, state-of-the art coolers. The district was also planning to replace the remaining water coolers that were disconnected, he said.

No-drinking signs were posted at the sinks that required action. Faucets were to be replaced and retested. Some rooms had other "good" sinks, and bottled water was provided at some locations, the superintendent said.

According to the report, outlets where the first draw sample exceeds 15 pbb and the second draw sample is close to 10 ppb or more, the outlet and the building plumbing are contributing lead to the drinking water.

The environmental company hired to take the samples recommends immediately stopping use of these outlets, replacing the outlet and associated plumbing up to the wall connection, and installing a lead filter at the wall connection. A filter maintenance plan will need to be implemented to ensure that all filters are in proper working order, the report states.

Davenport said Lakeland has a preventive maintenance schedule that is followed annually and that she checks every fall.

"We use this schedule to ensure that routine maintenance such as filter changes, generator testing, etc., are followed through to keep the building running smoothly and actually to keep our costs more contained," she said.

High levels of lead in drinking water can cause health problems and is most dangerous for pregnant women, infants and children under 6 years of age, one of the letters stated. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body, it says.

Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of the corrosion of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and in building plumbing, the letter continues. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass, and chrome-plated brass faucets, it says.

The test results and and further information are available at the school board office. 

Email: Agnish@northjersey.com

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