Chart showing elevated lead levels at five locations.
UPDATED, Feb. 15: Parts of Arlington High School dating back more than 100 years have aging plumbing that, officials believe, is the source of lead and copper whose levels are above state limits in five places.
Those troubling fixtures, including sinks used by nursing and Menotomy Preschool staff as well as food preparation, are undergoing replacement by school maintenance employees.
“Lead is not believed to be in the water source but rather in plumbing fixtures in the building,” a joint news release said, “resulting in an increase in the lead content in tap water.
Tests were also conducted at all seven elementary schools and the Ottoson Middle School. The results came back well below the Massachusetts Action Levels for lead and copper.
Grant received
The town recently received a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection to conduct water sampling in all public-school buildings in town to assess the drinking water for lead and copper. During testing, five of the 28 water taps tested at AHS had lead levels that exceeded the Massachusetts Action Level for lead in drinking water at schools, said the release from Christine Bongiorno, director of Health and Human Services, and Bodie.
The Massachusetts Action Level for lead is 15 parts per billion (ppb). Three hand-washing sinks came back slightly above the level (15.4 to 19 ppb), while a mop sink and drinking fountain came back at a higher level (20-58.7 ppb).
Asked when testing occurred, Superintendent Kathleen Bodie wrote Tuesday, Feb. 14, all seven elementary schools as well as Ottoson were done last spring.
“AHS testing began the end of June and was completed later in the fall,” she wrote. “Schools must be in session to test water for lead, which is why testing is not done over the summer.”
Asked what gave rise to testing, and whether it spurred from a complaint, she wrote that schools across the Commonwealth and country are testing for lead in the water.
The nationwide push for such scrutiny increased following the discovery in 2014 of contaminated public drinking water in Flint, Mich. The Globe reported last April that the state has allotted $2 million for tests of schools’ drinking water in the Commonwealth.
The money, that report said, would come from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust, which is funded by a mix of state and federal dollars.
High lead levels found in 160 schools
In November, The Globe reported that high lead levels were found more than 160 school buildings in Massachusetts following extensive testing.
Asked when Arlington schools received the state grant and its amount, Bodie said she would have to check.
As to the contractor replacing the fixtures involved and the cost, she wrote: “The replacement of sinks and fixtures have been done by our maintenance staff. I do not have the cost breakouts yet.”
Asked about whether the work underway to replace fixtures goes beyond the five discovered, she wrote: “It is only the five sinks/faucets that had lead numbers above the actionable level set by Massachusetts for the first draw.
“We will continue testing other water sources in the high school …. Any fixture that tests above the actionable level will be replaced.”
When levels highest
With older fixtures, lead levels in the water are highest during the first draw on a plumbing fixture but diminish with use throughout the day. At each plumbing fixture tested, there were two samples taken. The first sample was the first draw of water for the day, and the second sample was after a 30-second flush.
All of the samples after the 30-second flush came back well below the Massachusetts Action Level.
This clearly indicates that the age and condition of the fixtures is the primary cause of the lead, and officials believe that once the fixtures are replaced, there will no longer be an issue.
Exposure to lead is a concern, because lead is a toxic metal that has a range of adverse health effects primarily in children under 6 years old if they drink the water. Hand washing does not expose the body to the dangers of lead.
This clearly indicates that the age and condition of the fixtures is the primary cause of the lead, and officials believe that once the fixtures are replaced, there will no longer be an issue.
Exposure to lead is a concern, because lead is a toxic metal that has a range of adverse health effects primarily in children under 6 years old if they drink the water. Hand washing does not expose the body to the dangers of lead.
Steps taken
The Arlington Public School Department has taken the following steps to address the issue of lead in the water:
— All plumbing fixtures with lead levels over the Action Level have been removed, and each fixture will be replaced with a safe new fixture.
— The schools have developed a sampling plan to conduct additional testing at additional plumbing fixtures (faucets, water fountains, etc.) where students and staff get water for drinking, beverage preparation and cooking.
— The schools have installed a reverse osmosis water-filtration system at the preschool, day-care center and nurse’s office, all in the high school, which removes lead, copper and other unwanted items from the water.
“The water supply in our school buildings is a vital issue and something that we take very seriously,” Bodie said in the release. “We are moving immediately in partnership with the MassDEP and the Arlington Board of Health to further protect the health of students, faculty and staff, and we are confident that the problem has been addressed.”
The water system at the High School is not unlike water systems found in other buildings in town. Older plumbing systems and fixtures can contain lead pipes or solder that can allow lead to enter tap water. Please visit: arlingtonma.gov/health to find out more about health effects of lead and how to limit exposure.
Following these test results, Arlington is seeking to expand its voluntary testing of water fixtures in public buildings and will make additional replacements where necessary.
State Department of Energy & Environmental Affairs: Lead and copper in schools
Globe, Nov. 16, 2016: High lead levels found more than 160 school buildings in Mass.
April 16, 2016: Mass. earmarks $2 million to test for lead in public schools’ water
This announcement was published Monday, Feb. 13, 2017.
