Additional seven schools test for lead - #lakewoodnews

Testing of all 158 of Jefferson County School District's school facilities continued last week, revealing seven new schools with some form of elevated lead in the water.

The newly detected locations brings the total number of schools with lead issues up to 30, out of the 40 schools with test results reported so far.

Arvada K-8, the first school including the middle school grades to have test results come back, found eight water sources with lead above the 15 parts per billion level established by the EPA as the level over which water providers must work to improve water quality. Four classroom sinks, a drinking fountain in the cafeteria, and three non-classroom sinks tested high. One of the district's highest lead readings was from a workroom sink, reading 1,760.8 ppb.

Other high readings were found at elementary schools, including Hackberry with three sites, Molholm with three, and Vivian with seven.

At Vivian Elementary, the high test results came from three classroom sinks, two classroom sink drinking fountain bubblers, and a double sink in an art room.

One Lakewood school, Glennon Elementary, was found to have acceptable water quality, the district's 10th school to be cleared.

The school district chose to begin comprehensive lead testing in April, after a Head Start preschool facility in Arvada, owned by the district, tested high for the metal. The district began testing the oldest facilities first, those built long before the EPA raised lead standards in 1986 on how much of the heavy metal could safely be in the water supply.

Work began last week at Arvada's Peck Elementary to try and reduce lead levels by replacing faucet fixtures, and feed lines with newer, virtually lead-free plumbing parts. Assuming those changes fix the water quality problem, the district hopes to change out those parts at all affected schools before classes begin in the fall.

The district says faucets that have not been replaced and retested have been marked unusable, and will not be used until repaired.

Jeffco schools estimates Initial testing of all the school facilities will cost $75,000.

The district's complete test results can be found at www.jeffcopublicschools.org.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Additional-seven-schools-test-for-lead,231988