In 2022, the Missouri Legislature passed the Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act. This Act set standards for lead concentrations in school drinking water and laid out school responsibilities in terms of sampling, reporting and remediation. Schools are required to conduct lead content testing on water outlets used for drinking, food preparation, cooking, or cleaning cooking utensils. They are not required to test water outlets primarily used for other purposes, such as hand washing. Iberia R-V recently completed the required testing using Occu-Tec as our sampling and testing contractor. Our sampling plan and test results can be accessed at these links:
- Sampling and Analysis Plan - https://5il.co/2evja
- Sampling Results - https://5il.co/2evjb
In total, we tested 59 separate outlets. Of these, 4 tested with lead content levels higher than that allowed in the Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act:
- Rm 233 Sink – 5.1 ppm
- Rm 233 Faucet – 6.7 ppm
- Water fountain by Coach’s Office – 8.9 ppm
- Ballfield spigot – 5.5 ppm
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has a drinking water lead limit of 15 parts per billion. However, the new Missouri law limits school drinking water to 5 parts per billion. Our highest result of 8.9 parts per billion was over the Missouri limit but well below the EPA limit. Upon receiving the results, those 4 outlets were shut down for remediation. Per the recommendation of our testing company, we are replacing those outlets. Once replaced, those outlets will be tested again to determine if they have lead levels under the allowable limit. If then under the limit, those outlets will be reopened. If, after remediation, an outlet still tests above the limit, it will be necessary to add filtration or replace supply lines until an allowable lead content is achieved. Outlets that were not tested will be designated by signage indicating they are for hand washing only or are not for drinking.
If you would like to learn more about lead, the health effects of lead, and how you can test your home, the following sites contain additional information:
https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/lead/
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/default.htm
If you have any questions about our district lead testing, please contact me at the Central Office.
Lyndel R. Whittle
Superintendent