IMPORTANT NOTICE
REGARDNG SCHOOL DRINKING WATER
In September 2000, The Carlisle Public Schools, as
part of its ongoing water quality-testing program, sampled several taps for
lead and copper as required by the USEPA Copper & Lead Testing Rule. Three bathroom sink taps sampled were
found to have slightly exceeded, at .017 mg/L, the lead action level of, .015
mg/L. These three taps were turned
off and additional actions taken to comply with the Rule. Testing was done on the all water
fountains on school campus and none showed abnormal lead levels. Working with the Department of
Environmental Protection the Carlisle Public Schools made an evaluation of the
water system on campus and contracted with an engineering firm to design a
corrosion control system. This
system was installed in July 2002 and has been in continuous operation since
then. Results of follow-up
sampling conducted in November of 2002 and this May showed no lead levels in
the drinking water at the selected sampling sites. It now appears that the lead was leaching into the
water from some older plumbing, which apparently contains lead solder
joints. The corrosion control
system uses aeration to raise the PH of the water eliminating the possibility
of corrosion in this older plumbing.
We continue monitor the water quality and are working with the
Department of Environmental Protection to assure compliance with Federal and
State drinking water standards.
Please direct any inquiries regarding the lead
issue and drinking water quality at this facility to the Supervisor of
Buildings & Grounds at 978-369-6550, Extension 2002. In addition the following resources may
be used to obtain information on lead in drinking water;
EPA's
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791
Massachusetts
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-617-292-5770
USEPA
website http://epa.gov/safewater
Massachusetts
DEP
website www.state.ma.us/dep/consumer/lead
National
Lead Information
Center 1-800-LEAD-FYI
June 2, 2003
Dear Members of the Carlisle School Community;
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have
determined that lead in the drinking water is a concern to health at certain
levels of exposure. The groups
most vulnerable to lead include fetuses and young children. Lead in pregnant women can damage a
child before it is born, by lowering birth weight and slowing down normal
physical and mental development.
Lead in young children, especially those under the age of six can result
in lower IQ levels, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, and poor
classroom performance. At high
levels, lead can seriously damage the brain.
As a result of these health effects, EPA has
applied more stringent regulations to public water systems. However, since lead is generally
contributed to water via plumbing in individual homes and businesses, EPA has
also advocated testing of water in private buildings. EPA recommends that action be taken if lead levels exceed 15
parts per billion (ppb) at any outlet tested.
In October 1988, the U.S. Congress passed the Lead
Contamination Control Act, which specifically addressed the problem of lead in
school drinking water. Following
instructions given in an EPA guidance document especially designed for schools,
we completed a plumbing profile as required in 1993 for each of our school
buildings. Through this effort, we
identified and tested those drinking water outlets most likely to have high
levels of lead. Of the 20 samples
taken at that time, all tested well below the EPA's recommended level of 15 ppb
for lead.
In follow-up testing, as required by the
regulations, in the September of 2000 we once again tested the 20 taps. Three outlets tested above the
action level. The first outlet was
in the Highland building boys toilet room sink. The level at that tap was 17
ppb. (The Highland building is no
longer a school however the school provides water to the facility.) The second
outlet was at the Brick buildings bathroom sink tap at 21 ppb and the third tap
which exceeded the action level was the sink in the Grant building, lower level
boys bathroom. This tap tested at
25 ppb. These taps were immediately shut off and notices posted. The Department of Environmental Protection
and the Board of Health were notified. A newsletter was sent home as a notification on
October 25, 2000. Additional
testing was then conducted of all drinking fountains throughout the school
campus. Tests showed that every
water fountain was well below the lead action level. In addition tests conducted up until this date have showed
that the well water contained no lead and other water quality parameters
indicate otherwise safe high quality drinking water. A careful and extensive
investigation was then made into the source of the lead at the three taps. It was determined that the source of
the lead to be from faucets originally installed in 1988. These faucets were
replaced with lead free faucets.
Follow up testing on March 30, 2001 has reveled that the problem has not
been resolved. Tests showed
that three taps exceeded the EPA action level of 15 ppb. These three taps were
located in the Highland Building boys room sink (56 ppb), the test tap at the
water source in the Wilkins building level (49 ppb) and the faucet in the
Spalding building CASE classroom (19 ppb). Based on these tests the DEP has asked that we undertake a
specific study and respond back in a timely manner with the results and recommendations
for bringing the water at all taps at the school in compliance with the
requirements.
A corrosion control study was conducted in the
spring of 2002. The study
recommended that a corrosion control system using aeration be installed. This system was installed in July 2002
and has been in continuous operation.
Follow-up testing conducted in November showed no detection of lead in
the water samples at the same taps.
Testing once again this May also has shown that the corrosion control
system has effectively managed the corrosion that had been taking place in the
older plumbing in the buildings.
We continue to work with and report to the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Supply
and the local Board of Health. Testing and monitoring is on going.
Copies of all test results are available for
inspection by the public, including teachers, other school personnel, and
parents and can be viewed between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. For more
information about water quality in our school, contact David Flannery,
Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, Carlisle Public Schools at 978-369-6550,
extension 2002.
Sincerely,
Davida Fox-Melanson
Superintendent of Schools
The following resources may be used to obtain
information on lead in drinking water;
EPA's
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791
Massachusetts
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-617-292-5770
USEPA
website http://epa.gov/safewater
Massachusetts
DEP
website www.state.ma.us/dep/consumer/lead
National
Lead Information
Center 1-800-LEAD-FYI
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please direct any inquiries regarding the lead
issue and drinking water quality at the Carlisle Public Schools facility to the
Supervisor of Buildings & Grounds at 978-369-6550, Extension 2002. In addition the following resources may
be used to obtain information on lead in drinking water;
EPA's
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791
Massachusetts
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-617-292-5770
USEPA
website http://epa.gov/safewater
Massachusetts
DEP
website www.state.ma.us/dep/consumer/lead
National
Lead Information
Center 1-800-LEAD-FYI