Schools required to test their water for lead

All New York state schools must now have their drinking water supply tested for lead contamination, according to legislation signed last month by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. New York is the first state in the country to institute a lead testing mandate for schools. 

Schools with students in pre-K through fifth grade must have had their water tested by Sept. 30, while those housing sixth- through 12th-graders must test by Oct. 31. Schools that complete the testing and make necessary changes in accordance with the new law by Jan. 1 do not need to retest. 

The majority of school districts across Long Island had already tested for lead earlier this year. Among the school districts in the Herald’s coverage area that needed remediation after testing were East Rockaway, Malverne, North Bellmore, Oceanside, all three Valley Stream school districts and Wantagh. 

In the past, New York schools were not required to test drinking water for lead. Federal drinking water regulations govern only water systems, and since most schools do not maintain their own drinking water supplies, federal laws do not apply to them. 

Under the new state regulations, however, schools must report all lead test results to the state Department of Health, and to staff and parents no more than 10 business days later. If lead levels are above 15 parts per billion at any potable water outlet, the school must discontinue its use, provide an alternate water supply and take action to reduce the lead level. The law includes a guarantee that the state will pay for most testing and remediation through school aid formulas currently in place.

“To implement the new law, Department of Health issued emergency regulations titled, ‘Lead Testing in School Drinking Water,’ effective September 6, 2016,” Kim A. Parahus, director of school facilities and operations of Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools, wrote in an email. She added, “In response, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools has retained the services of an environmental consultant to draw water samples in accordance to the regulation. Due to the tremendous amount of analysis required throughout the state by accredited laboratories, results will be forthcoming.”

“We had done our testing last spring and all of our fountains that were used checked out,” said Lawrence School District Superintendent Gary Schall, “We will continue to monitor lead levels diligently regardless of what the state requirements are.”

Ronkonkoma-based Enviroscience Consultants, Inc. conducted the testing in May in accordance with federal and state guidelines, Schall said. Lead was detected in two water fountains in the high school and were quickly decommissioned, he said. 

According to the governor’s office, water samples must be taken from cold-water outlets where water has been motionless in the pipes for a minimum of eight hours but not more than 18 hours. Schools typically have wide-ranging water use patterns, and are more likely to have elevated levels of lead due to prolonged water contact with plumbing. Laws now limit the amount of lead in new plumbing equipment, but pipes installed before 1986 may contain significant amounts of lead. 

Schools will be required to collect samples a minimum of every five years, or at a time determined by the state health commissioner. A lab approved by the Health Department’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program must analyze all samples.