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District outlines multi-year lead-testing plan for school drinking water, says remediation and family notifications are planned
Summary
District staff presented the drinking-water (lead) testing program required under New York Subpart 67-4, describing first-drop sampling of applicable outlets, an action level of 5 ppb, compliance windows for the 2026–28 cycle, and timelines for remediation and family notifications.
District staff presented details of the Shenendehowa Central School District's drinking-water lead-sampling program and said the district will phase initial first-drop sampling across the 2026–27 school year and complete remediation and reporting within the state-mandated cycle.
The district summarized the sampling protocol: any outlet used for cooking or drinking is an 'applicable outlet' and will be sampled following a first-drop protocol (water sitting in the fixture 8–18 hours before collecting the sample). The Department of Health action level is 5 parts per billion; outlets that test above that level require remedial actions and follow-up sampling. The district plans initial sampling spread between October 2026 and May 2027, with remediation scheduled as needed up to the end of the compliance cycle in late 2028.
Staff described routine preventative maintenance already underway — aerator flushing and replacement, faucet-mounted and under-sink filter replacements, signage on non-potable outlets, and work-order tracking for ongoing maintenance — and said approximately 150 under-sink filters were replaced in April. They explained the notification and reporting sequence: the Saratoga County Department of Health is notified within 24 hours after any exceedance; families and staff are notified within 10 days; and remediation action plans plus lab results are posted to the district website within six weeks.
Board members asked how many outlets are on the district profile and how the board will receive reports; a board member asked, "How many applicable outlets are there?" Staff said preliminary counts are 'almost 700' applicable outlets and roughly 1,600 total outlets districtwide, and confirmed the board would be provided access to the reports and that family communications will be distributed physically or electronically.
Next steps: staff will complete the outlet inventory, finalize the sampling plan and schedule sampling and remediation tasks per the state compliance calendar; the district has submitted reimbursement requests for prior-cycle work and is awaiting details on reimbursement for the current cycle.
