This summer the New Jersey Board of Education mandated that all public schools within the state to test all faucets and fountains for lead.
The Mt. Laurel Township School District is on schedule to test for the presence of lead in the faucets and fountains in all schools.
This summer, the state Board of Education mandated all public schools test all faucets and fountains for lead within the next year.
Despite districts having a full year to complete any tests, the Mt. Laurel district chose to begin testing near the start of this school year.
According to school district business administrator Robert Wachter, the most recent schools tested were Parkway Elementary and Fleetwood Elementary, and results from those two buildings are expected soon.
“We’re moving along with it, and eventually we’ll be testing all the buildings, but right now we’re doing those buildings that were built before 1986,” Wachter said.
In 1986, Congress required all new plumbing materials used in construction to be completely lead free.
Buildings in the Mt. Laurel School District that have already been tested and where results are known include Hillside Elementary and Countryside Elementary.
As Hillside is the district’s oldest school, dating back to 1954, officials chose to test that building first in September. Drinking water from the three oldest fountains, out of nine total, at Hillside tested for lead above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s allowable limit of 15.5 parts per billion.
The three fountains tested at 22.41 parts per billion, 32.55 parts per billion and 22.95 parts per billion, respectively. As a remedy, the district immediately closed the fountains, scheduled them for replacement and made alternative drinking water available.
A fountain at Countryside, the second school the district tested in October, also tested for lead at 77.8 parts per billion on the test’s initial draw of water. After the fountain was flushed and a second sample was tested, the fountain only measured for lead at 2.37 parts per billion, far below the initial sample and below the EPA’s acceptable limit.
Regardless, that fountain was also scheduled for replacement. Filters were also scheduled for installation for pre-school and kindergarten classroom fountains at the school.
Wachter said the district would continue to update the public on test results as they’re known, with results posted on the district’s website and reviewed at Board of Education meetings.
“I keep that on the agenda so people know what we’re doing and so there’s no surprises,” Wachter said.
Wachter said the next building scheduled for testing is Harrington Middle School, which will be tested during winter break.
Those looking to learn more about the Mt. Laurel Township School District’s lead testing can visit www.mtlaurelschools.org. General information about the effects of lead can be found at www.epa.gov/lead.
