Eight additional Jeffco schools have lead - #lakewoodnews

The majority of Jefferson County Schools' water faucets and sinks show lead levels below the EPA-recommended levels. But in many schools, the district is finding several water sources that go above, sometimes well above, the EPA's 15 parts per billion warning level.

As of July 11, the district reported finding elevated levels of lead at Dutch, Leawood, Kyffin, Parmalee, Patterson, Peck, Peiffer and Pleasant View elementaries.

Those schools join a list of 14 other elementary schools where the district had previously found elevated levels of lead: Green Mountain, Kendrick Lakes, Ralston, Westgate, Bergen Meadow, Bradford, Deane, Eiber, Slater, Stony Creek, Edgewater, Ute Meadows and Foster.

Tests at Normandy Elementary and the preschool cottages at Patterson Elementary tested below the EPA threshold.They join the smaller list of schools with non-elevated lead levels: Pennington, Coronado, Hutchinson and Miller elementary schools.

Each school was tested at numerous water sources. Certain schools, notably Patterson and Peck elementary schools, excluding the preschools, had multiple locations test high for lead.

At Peck, 10 sources came back high, including a sink in the teachers' lounge, three sinks in the kitchen and six classroom sinks, some of which had bubbler drinking attachments.

Patterson tested positive at five locations, including two classroom sinks, two teachers' lounge sinks, and one food service hand sink.

The EPA requires any water utility which tests higher than 15 ppb to notify customers and work to remediate the situation.

Jefferson County Schools is not a water provider, but has taken a proactive approach to testing water at all of its facilities this summer. Jeffco is spending $75,000 to test each school, how much that will cost in repairs is still unknown.

District sources say lead-high water sources will not be used until they test below the EPA's lead threshold. Schools are being tested daily, with all schools scheduled for testing by the time school starts in the fall.

The district said it would notify families through email if their schools are found to have high-levels in the water.

Complete test results can be found at www.jeffcopublicschools.org.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Eight-additional-Jeffco-schools-have-lead,226683