Westbury officials: district water now within new state lead standard after targeted fixes
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Summary
A resident asked why Westbury appeared on a state list after the lead standard changed; facilities staff said earlier failing fixtures were taken out of service, repaired or replaced, retested and are now within the new 5 ppb standard, and additional filtration is in place.
Chester McGibbon, a resident, told the Westbury Union Free School District board that recent news reports had listed the district among Nassau County systems flagged after the state lowered its lead threshold from 15 parts per billion to 5 parts per billion and asked for a timeline and explanation.
Dr. Chase and the district’s facilities director responded that the district began testing under the new standard after the state change, identified a small number of faucets that did not meet the lower threshold, immediately took those fixtures out of service, and repaired or replaced them. "We do not have any detected lead in our water. Our water is safe," Dr. Chase said. The facilities director added, "Right now, we are 100% in compliance," and said the district retested fixtures and installed additional filtration devices on drinking fountains as an extra safeguard.
Officials told the board that the state’s standard-change timeline (from December 2022, giving districts multiple years to comply) guided the district’s testing program. The director noted routine procedures for bringing new fixtures online — including testing before a fixture is put into service — and that sinks designated nonpotable are clearly labeled.
The board also said they made prior notices and test results available online and that retesting records showing successful remediation are posted for public review. Chester McGibbon’s initial question and the board’s responses were raised during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
Next steps: Administrators urged residents to consult the district website for specific testing records and said facilities staff will continue routine testing and follow state guidance.
