At the beginning of this school year, District 90 reported that there were elevated levels of lead and copper in several District sinks, spigots, faucets, and water fountains. The District received the results from the latest round of mitigation efforts and testing on January 6, which indicated that all water sources are below the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action level thresholds and are safe for consumption.
To ensure the safety of the District’s water supply for our students, staff, and visitors, District 90 engaged an environmental consulting firm to conduct testing of water sources for lead and copper throughout the District’s buildings, during the summer of 2016. Results from the first round of tests uncovered 10 water sources in school buildings with elevated lead or copper levels. The affected spigots, sinks, and water fountains were immediately disconnected and repairs were begun using certified and licensed plumbing contractors. After that round of lead and copper remediation and additional testing, three water sources were brought back into service leaving seven sources for additional testing and mitigation. The latest results indicate that all of the water sources in all of our buildings are now well below the EPA’s action level thresholds.