Water testing results at BH-BL

(UPDATED November 22, 2016)

On September 6, 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a new law that requires public schools in New York to test all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes for lead levels.

Per the new law, if the lead level from a water outlet exceeds the state’s action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb), the district will take immediate action to fix the problem. To put this number into perspective, the NYS Department of Health uses the 15 ppb action level to promote remediation of a water outlet rather than to identify a health-based or exposure level.

Like many school districts around the region, BH-BL’s test results show elevated levels of lead in several water outlets. As of November, we have results from all five schools. (See below.)

According to the EPA, lead in drinking water is rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning. Additionally, human skin does not absorb lead in water so even if water contains lead over the state’s action level, it is safe for hand washing, cleaning, or science applications. For more information about lead levels and drinking water, visit the EPA’s website.

The state’s regulations require that any drinking outlets be taken out of service until repairs are completed and further test results shows lead levels are below the action level. Additionally, the sinks listed below have all been labeled with “No Drinking” signs. They can continue to be used for hand washing and cleaning only.

Please be assured we are taking the necessary steps to remedy the situation and to ensure the safety of our students and staff throughout the district.

Test results

Pashley Elementary School

At Pashley, 75 water sources were tested and one showed an elevated level of lead.

A sink in a faculty men’s bathroom has an actionable level of 37 ppb.

Charlton Heights Elementary School

At Charlton Heights, 72 water sources were tested and five showed elevated levels of lead.

A wash tree in the boys’ bathroom in the fifth-grade quad has an action level of 41 ppb.
A bathroom sink (grade 1, Mrs. Hjelmar) has an action level of 57 ppb.
A classroom drinking fountain (grade 4, Mrs. Bryk) has an action level of 23 ppb.
A kitchen sink, which is only used for washing dishes, has an action level of 180 ppb.
A kitchen sink, which has not been used for any purposes for the past several years, has an action level of 280 ppb.

Stevens Elementary School

At Stevens Elementary School, 64 water sources were tested and four showed elevated levels of lead.

Two sinks (side by side) in the art room that are used only for cleaning art supplies (paint brushes, paint palettes, etc.) and hand washing have action levels of 19 and 25 ppb.
A sink in the kitchen that is used only for rinsing dishes before they go into the dishwasher has an action level of 17 ppb.
A sink in the kitchen that is used only for washing large cookware has an action level of 57 ppb.

O’Rourke Middle School

At O’Rourke Middle School, 156 water sources were tested and 29 showed elevated levels of lead.

A boiler room sink has an action level of 36.8 ppb.
A sink in the boys’ locker room has an action level of 18.8 ppb.
A sink in the girls’ locker room has an action level of 16.6 ppb.
A sink used for hand washing in technology room 136 has an action level of 22.9 ppb.
A sink in room 117 (teacher work room) has an action level of 15.7 ppb.
A sink used for washing in room 105 has an action level of 19.6 ppb.
A sink in a boys’ bathroom has an action level of 16.3 ppb.
A kitchen eyewash sink has an action level of 16 ppb.
21 sinks in science classrooms and science labs have action levels ranging from 15.3 to 50.1 ppb.

BH-BL High School

At BH-BL High School, 298 water sources were tested and 178 showed elevated levels of lead. An important reminder when reviewing the results at the high school is that a majority of the water sources identified with an action level are sinks in science classrooms and labs. The district’s facilities supervisor believes the water test results may be stemming from an older water supply line. We are currently investigating to find the exact cause, and will then make the necessary repairs.

Various lab sinks, emergency eyewash stations, and prep sinks in science rooms 219, 220, 226 and 228 as well as in labs S11-14 and S23-26, have action levels mostly between 15.3 ppb and 178 ppb. Three rarely used prep sinks have action levels of 222 ppb, 320 ppb, and 430 ppb.
Two science storage room sinks have action levels of 21.2 ppb and 29.8 ppb.
A sink in room 214 has an action level of 25.8 ppb.
Three sinks in prep room 216 have action levels of 56.5 ppb, 75.8 ppb, and 78.2 ppb.
Three sinks in room 218 have action levels of 17.1 ppb, 28.8 ppb, and 37
ppb.Four sinks in room 227 have action levels between 16.4 ppb and 23 ppb.
Five sinks in room 229 have action levels between 19.8 ppb and 33.1 ppb.
A sink in room 107 has an action level of 49.3 ppb.
A sink in the wood shop has an action level of 17.8 ppb.
A sink in the technology room has an action level of 32.4 ppb.
Two water fountains, one in the business hallway and one in the World
Languages hallway, have action levels of 18.9 ppb and 43.3 ppb, respectively.
Per state regulations the water fountains have been turned off.
A wash tree in a women’s restroom on the first floor near the auditorium has an action level of 18.4 ppb.
A wash tree in a girls’ restroom in the music/technology hallway has an action level of 15.2 ppb.
A sink in a boys’ restroom and a sink in a girls’ restroom on the second floor in the business hallway have action levels of 92.2 ppb and 16.7 ppb, respectively.
A wash tree in a women’s faculty restroom and the wash trees in the men’s faculty restroom in the math hallway have action levels of 17.8 ppb, 18.1 ppb and 28 ppb, respectively.