Lead Found in Fort Washington Elementary School Drinking Water

Parents recieved the following e-mail from Stephanie A. Hultquist, M.Ed., Interim Principal and Coordinator of Educational Technology, on Tuesday:

In response to a building liaison concern, the Facilities Department recently conducted lead testing of our buildings water sources.  Of the 20 samples taken, 6 areas exceeded the EPA threshold of .0015 mgl (or 15 parts per billion) as per the report received by QC Laboratories.  The 6 areas include: Room 216, Room 102, Cafeteria Water Fountain, Boy’s Bathroom (by Music Room), Kitchen Dishwasher Sink& the Kitchen Serving Line Sink. 

The following steps are currently being taken to address concerns in both the short/long terms and in  conjunction with the EPA recommendations:

     1. All fixtures will be replaced from the water pipes up to and including hardware in areas exceeding the EPA thresholds;

       2. Water supply has been shut off to any area in excess of the EPA regulations, if operationally plausible, until solutions are in place;

      3. More sampling has been ordered to test the remaining building water sources which were not included in the first round;

      4.  Plans for additional filtration solutions are being considered pending the results of future testing

Please note: Bottled water is being used in the kitchen for cooking.

As we continue to obtain any new information, we will keep the students, staff and community informed.