Freehold Township board says it will apply for up to $426,000 to replace fixtures after trace lead findings

Freehold Township School District administrators told the board they plan to apply for a competitive state Water Improvement Grant to remediate drinking fountains and sinks that showed any traceable lead.

An administrator said the district "estimate[s] we will be applying for approximately $426,000 in grant funds." The grant would fund replacement of drinking fountains with filtered bottle-filling stations, replacement of faucets on affected sinks and replacement of underlying hardware; each replacement includes an initial two-year supply of filters and the district would have two years to complete the work once approved.

The administrator said a manufacturer assisting the district estimated "up to 71" drinking fountains and sinks could be eligible. The district emphasized this is an estimate: the manufacturer has not yet returned a building-level report identifying which fixtures are counted, and the administrator said the state published only a due date for the application (Aug. 25) and not a timetable for awarding funds.

Board members asked whether any buildings were excluded; the administrator said every building was impacted and that two portable "pods" already scheduled for demolition are having sink work handled through the referendum bid. The administrator added that the district’s ability to complete upgrades will depend on parts availability and installer schedules and could be affected by other districts’ grant activity.

There is no record in the transcript of a board vote on the grant application during this meeting; the agenda listed the grant approval as an item, and administrators presented details for board consideration.

The next steps reported were: receipt of a manufacturer fixture report to identify eligible units, finalizing the grant application, and awaiting the state’s competitive award decisions.