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District outlines lead testing, water‑treatment plan and costs
Summary
District facilities staff said the district must test roughly 35 water sampling sites at about $15 each, will front the cost and seek ODE reimbursement, and plans a pH‑adjusting treatment (caustic soda) expected by June to reduce lead leaching—with fixture replacement if tests show high results.
District facilities staff told the board that the Oregon Department of Education requires lead sampling at all points where drinking or cooking water is available. "They are, $15 a piece," the facilities lead said, describing roughly 35 sampling sites across the campuses and noting the district will front the payments and be reimbursed later by the state.
The presenter said the district is pursuing a water‑treatment change that raises pH using caustic soda; the treatment is intended to reduce corrosion that can leach lead from older solder or pipes. "It's the treatment, and it's not finalized yet... I'm hoping that, like, by June, it'll be finalized," the staff member said. The facilities report stressed that treatment can mitigate lead dissolved from pipes but will not fix old fixtures; if sampling shows high lead levels at specific fixtures, those fixtures will need replacement or the point must be taken out of service.
Board members asked whether showers are covered by the ODE requirement; the presenter said showers are excluded from the state testing protocol, although staff noted the practical concern that students sometimes drink from spigots that may be connected to shower lines. The facilities lead also described shock‑treatment flushing at the high school and reported pumping roughly 14,000 gallons during a recent flush to remove off‑tasting water while remediation proceeds.
No formal vote was taken; staff said they will proceed with the required sampling, report results to the board, and return with cost estimates for any required fixture replacements or targeted remediation.
