Good afternoon, WCPS Families & Staff –
We are providing an update following initial water testing for lead in all Washington County Public Schools’ buildings. That information was released earlier this month.
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. To be ahead of that timeline, the Washington County Service Authority tested five fixtures at every school (at least two fixtures in the kitchens and 2 or more 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
If you recall, the initial testing found that four of our schools had at least one fixture that tested less than 10 ppb (Meadowview Elementary – two fixtures, Watauga Elementary – one fixture, Glade Spring Middle School – one fixture, and Holston High School – two fixtures). One school had two fixtures that tested above 10 ppb (Greendale Elementary). As a result, we took additional precautions at those five schools immediately. Only fixtures that tested non-detect are available for cooking purposes at these schools. This is above and beyond the protocols recommended by the EPA.
The moment we received the initial testing results, we immediately discontinued the use of consumable water fixtures at the five schools (e.g. drinking fountains) – with that protocol remaining in place until the issue is remedied. As a result, we have been providing bottled water for students and staff. We are also installing a new water cooler at all schools in our division. This water cooler is equipped with five different filters that are designed to remove lead and other impurities.
As an additional safeguard, we also began the process of testing every fixture in Greendale Elementary. That testing is now complete, with test results showing 52 fixtures tested non-detect, 8 fixtures tested less than 10 ppb, and 17 fixtures tested above 10 ppb. The most recent test results show that most of the drinking fountains came back as non-detect (with the exception of the fountain in the teachers' lounge, and the fountains located in Ms. Matney's, Ms. Mitchell's, and Ms. Saltz's classrooms) many of the elevated readings came from fixtures not needed for day-to-day school operations. One fixture tested extremely high, and we believe that could be because the classroom sink has not been used for an extended period of time. We will replace that fixture and test again before considering future use. (The samples for lead testing are taken after the fixture has been unused for a minimum of eight hours to get a worst-case result. Flushing the fixture for an extended period reduces the likelihood of lead presence.) We are replacing the sink in the kitchen that initially tested above 10 ppb and will retest again before returning that sink to service. Other next steps are to determine and troubleshoot whether the elevated testing numbers are due to the fixture itself, or if it is a result of the plumbing in the walls. Those fixtures will remain turned off until further notice. It is possible that sinks that are no longer used or needed will be removed from future service. We have been given clearance to use all points of contact that have returned "non-detect" results.
More testing has taken place at the four schools that also saw elevated results. Once those test results are complete, we will conduct additional tests at the remaining 11 schools in our division.
We will continue to work with the Washington County Service Authority and the Office of Drinking Water to ensure we are taking all needed steps to keep our students and staff safe. We are also staying in contact with the local Health Department. The new Greendale testing results and additional information which includes an FAQ, and a helpful flyer can be found at this link on our website: https://www.wcs.k12.va.us/documents/washington-county-service-authority-information/722977
If you have any questions or concerns, we will continue to work with the agencies referenced above to share the latest information and provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff.
Thank you,
Keith Perrigan, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Washington County Public Schools
812 Thompson Dr.
Abingdon, VA 24210
276-739-3000
@WashCoSuper