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Board approves Group 1 lead‑in‑drinking‑water action plans; district to begin remediation and retesting
Summary
The board approved by general consent action plans for Group 1 school drinking‑water lead testing developed with the Department of Health; staff said remediation schedules and retesting will follow and the district is pursuing an OSPI grant to offset mitigation costs.
District maintenance and facilities staff presented Group 1 lead‑in‑drinking‑water testing results and action plans at the May 12 board meeting and asked the board to hold the required public hearing and approve mitigation plans so remediation and retesting can begin.
Larry Fleckenstein, who led the presentation, summarized the federal and state legal framework: the Environmental Protection Agency and the Lead and Copper Rule set municipal limits at 15 parts per billion, while Washington State law (house bill 1139 and associated RCWs) requires schools built or fully replumbed before 2016 to remediate outlets exceeding 5 parts per billion. Fleckenstein said sampling follows a strict protocol (8–18 hours stagnation before draws) and that outlets not intended for drinking can be reclassified (for hand‑washing only), while taps with readings above 15 ppb must be taken out of service immediately.
Fleckenstein said the district completed Group 1 sampling and is preparing Group 2 plans to meet a six‑month timeline for submitting action plans to the state. He asked the board to open a public hearing on the plans; no members of the public spoke during that hearing. The board approved the Group 1 action plans by general consent, allowing maintenance to schedule mitigation activities and post‑remediation retesting required to return outlets to service.
Fleckenstein noted lead testing is an unfunded mandate and the district is pursuing an OSPI grant to help offset mitigation costs; board members asked for estimated mitigation costs and were told staff have estimates but would need to research grant eligibility and final figures. Upon approval, the action plans will be published on the district website and principals were to be notified of any impacted outlets within 24–48 hours of result receipt, with signage and family notifications handled through standard communications channels.
The board’s approval authorizes the district to proceed with identified mitigation measures and retesting schedules for Group 1 schools; staff will return with additional plans for remaining schools in a later meeting.
