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Operations report: district water testing shows no samples above EPA thresholds
Summary
Operations staff reported that 65 water samples tested this school year were below EPA action levels for lead and copper; the district described sampling methods and follow-up procedures if lead is detected.
Marvin Lee, director of operations, presented the district’s 2024–25 drinking-water testing results and described the sampling method and follow-up procedures. He said the testing was conducted under the framework of Pennsylvania’s amendment to the public school code (Act 39 of 2018) and that all 65 samples collected this school year were below EPA action levels for lead and copper.
Lee described the testing protocol used by the operations team: five locations were sampled at each school (kitchen, nurse’s office, first-floor water fountain twice, and second-floor water fountain), with 250 milliliters collected from each location after the water had sat in the pipe for at least eight hours but no more than 18 hours. Samples were submitted to a laboratory identified in the presentation as Aqua for analysis.
Lee cited the EPA action level for lead as 0.015 milligrams per liter and for copper as 1.3 milligrams per liter. He said the average detected lead concentration among samples this year was 0.003 milligrams per liter, which he described as roughly 80 percent lower than the EPA lead action level. Lee emphasized that the district’s maintenance and capital investments — including installation of bottle-fill hydration stations on each floor — contributed to the testing results.
When trace levels are detected, Lee said the district follows a two-step remediation process: replace faucets with products meeting lead-free standards and install under-sink water filters as an additional safeguard. He referenced third-party product standards such as NSF/ANSI 61 and NSF/ANSI 372 and noted state laws that limit lead in plumbing fixtures; he said replacement fixtures were selected to meet those standards.
A question from a committee member asked whether the filters shown in a diagram were installed on the cold-water line only; Lee said the diagram was demonstrative and that the team would ensure both water lines are addressed as needed.
This presentation was informational; no board action was taken. Lee invited questions and described ongoing maintenance practices to ensure safe drinking water in district schools.
