Lead level over 6 times limit found in Camden County school water

CHERRY HILL TWP. -- Six water fountains at two Cherry Hill schools were found to have concerning lead levels in the most recent round of testing, including one that was over six times the federal action level. The Cherry Hill High School East girls' locker...

Lead level over 6 times limit found in Camden County school water

CHERRY HILL TWP. -- Six water fountains at two Cherry Hill schools were found to have concerning lead levels in the most recent round of testing, including one that was over six times the federal action level.

The Cherry Hill High School East girls' locker room water fountain had the second highest level reported so far in the district at 99.2 parts per billion. Fifteen parts per billion is the federal action level that requires the school to take remedial steps -- in this case, taking the water fountain out of service.

The other water fountains that have been taken out of service for exceeding the federal action level included High School East's gym, a basement team room, room F-085, and a hallway.

Two sinks in the library and kitchen were also taken out of service due to lead levels, according to a Feb. 3 letter to parents from Superintendent Joseph Meloche.

Melcohe also notified parents of students at John A. Carusi Middle School that a water fountain in the boys' locker room tested at 22.3 parts per billion and was taken out of service.

All other drinking and food preparation water outlets at the two schools, 18 at the middle school and 64 at the high school, tested below the action level, Meloche reported.

This brings the total number of district schools that have had water outlets testing above the action level to nine. The district commissioned the testing in the second half of 2016 to comply with new state regulations, Meloche said.

Mumps reported at Cherry Hill high school

In all cases, all problematic water fountains were taken out of service and sinks were fixed with signs saying they were for handwashing only, he said.

He announced in November that the school would implement a plan to address the actionable lead levels, which are most often caused by corroded, old pipes. The plan called for the making all classroom sinks for handwashing only, removing all bubbler water fountains in classrooms for grades 1 and up, and replacing fixtures and installing filtration in any water fountains, preschool and kindergarten classroom bubblers, faculty rooms, nurses' offices and kitchen sinks where lead levels were high.

This will cost the district around $150,000, the Courier-Post reported.

In November, Meloche notified the community that nine water outlets in five elementary schools tested above the action level. They were Woodcrest, Bret Harte, Joseph D. Sharp, James Johnson and Horace Mann schools.

The Courier-Post reported that the highest lead level in the district was 226 parts per billion, found in a Kingston Elementary School water outlet in December.

The December testing also revealed actionable lead levels in four outlets at Barclay Elementary School, two at Sharp, and one at Woodcrest, according to the newspaper.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

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