Lead Testing
On July 13, 2016, the State Board of Education adopted regulations regarding testing for lead in drinking water in public schools throughout New Jersey.
Overview of Regulations:
The regulations require testing for lead in all drinking water outlets within 365 days of the effective date of the regulations, which was July 13, 2016. All districts are directed to develop a lead sampling plan that will govern the collection and analysis of drinking water samples. Samples must then be sent to a certified testing laboratory for analysis. A complete list of certified testing laboratories is available on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s website.
Notification
Every district must make all test results available at the school facility and on the district’s website. The regulations also require notification to the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), as well as to parents, in any instances where positive results over the established level are reported. The notification should describe the steps taken to immediately end the use of each drinking water outlet where water quality exceeds the permissible lead level, as well as the measures taken to ensure that alternate drinking water has been made available to all students and staff. Click to read more
RE: Lead Sampling in Mercer County Technical School District
To our Mercer County Technical School District Community:
Our school system is committed to protecting student, teacher, and staff health. To protect our community, Mercer County Technical School District has been conducting testing of our schools’ drinking water for lead.
Why Test School Drinking Water for Lead?
High levels of lead in drinking water can cause health problems. Lead is most dangerous for pregnant women, infants and children under 6 years old. Exposure to high levels of lead during pregnancy contributes to low birth weight and developmental delays in infants. In young children, lead exposure can lower IQ levels, affect hearing, reduce attention span, and hurt school performance. At very high levels, lead can even cause brain damage.
To protect public health, the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that schools and day care facilities test their drinking water for lead. If lead is found at any water outlet at levels above 15 parts per billion (ppb), EPA recommends taking action to reduce the lead.
Is Our School’s Drinking Water Safe?
Yes, our schools’ water is safe. Mercer County Technical School District is currently performing testing of our schools’ drinking water for lead. We tested 43 outlets at two school facilities and at our administrative offices. Two samples came back with exceedances.
It is important to note that sampling is still ongoing. Follow-up (flush) samples will be taken at each of the outlets, which indicated lead levels above the specified threshold, to assist in identifying the potential source of the lead at these outlets. Until then, we will be isolating these outlets so that they will not be used for drinking water purposes.
Testing indicated lead at levels higher than the 15 ppb threshold at the following outlets: 2 exceedances:
SYP-C-2-CM-C144 C144 Sink 75.4
SYP-C-11-STM-C131 C131 Steamer 3890
Confirmatory flush samples will be taken at each of these outlets. If the fixtures are identified to contain lead or lead parts, we will replace the part or plumbing. While we continue with the sampling process, we will ensure that no one uses these outlets until the problem has been fixed.
How Can I Learn More?
You can see a copy of all of our water testing results at the school district’s administrative offices, which is open Monday to Friday (8:30am - 3:30pm) and on our Website at (www.mcts.edu) For more information about water quality in our schools, please contact me, Jose Cruz, Manager of Buildings & Grounds at 609-586-5144. For information about water quality and sampling for lead at home, contact your local water supplier or state drinking water agency.
Sincerely,
Jose Cruz
Manager of Buildings & Grounds1
1085 Old Trenton Road
Trenton, NJ 08690