Good evening,
On October 26, 2024, new regulations approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required water that is used in schools be tested for lead by 2028. In an effort to be ahead of this requirement, the Washington County Service Authority has already conducted testing for lead in all Washington County Public Schools' buildings. They tested 5 fixtures at every school, at least 2 fixtures in the kitchens and water fountains in various locations throughout the school.
There are three possible results from testing:
*Non-detect: Practice good water habits
*Less than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Consider risk mitigation such as flushing before use
*Greater than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Stop using the water source and take remediation steps
During a meeting this afternoon with the Washington County Service Authority and Office of Drinking Water, I learned that four of our schools had at least one fixture that tested less than 10 ppb (Meadowview Elementary - 2 fixtures, Watauga Elementary - 1 fixture, Glade Spring Middle School -1 fixture, and Holston High School -2 fixtures.) One school had two fixtures that tested above 10 ppb (Greendale Elementary)
As a result, we will begin taking additional precautions at those five schools immediately. Only fixtures that tested Non-detect will be available for cooking purposes at those schools. This is above and beyond the protocols recommended by the EPA. As an additional safeguard, we will begin the process of testing every fixture in these buildings beginning with Greendale Elementary School tomorrow morning. After the testing is complete at the 5 schools mentioned earlier, we will begin the process of testing every fixture at the remaining schools as an additional precaution.
As stated before, we will discontinue consumable water fixtures at these 5 schools (e.g. drinking fountains) until the issue is remedied. As a result, we will provide bottled water for students and staff, but please feel free to send water from home with your child.
Additional information provided by the Washington County Service Authority and Office of Drinking Water which includes a FAQ, and an informational flyer can be found at this link on our website: https://www.wcs.k12.va.us/documents/washington-county-service-authority-information/722977
We will continue to work with the Washington County Service Authority, Office of Drinking Water and Virginia Department of Health to ensure we are maintaining the safest possible environment for our students and staff while communicating the latest information with our stakeholders.
If you have concerns related to this issue, we will work with the agencies referenced above to provide answers to your questions.
Thank you,
Keith Perrigan, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Washington County Public Schools
812 Thompson Dr.
Abingdon, VA 24210
276-739-3000
@WashCoSuper