White River Junction
Amid increased national attention caused by the discovery of widespread water contamination in Flint, Mich., one challenge facing public health advocates is that lead can’t be seen, tasted or smelled in water — the only way to know whether a water source is contaminated is to send a water sample to a laboratory.
In recent years, 20 states, including Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, have begun programs to test for lead in school drinking water, and they’re finding plenty of it. Testing showed that a majority of the 1,000 schools tested in Massachusetts, and 83 percent of schools in New York City, had lead levels that were “elevated,” meaning they were above the EPA-established threshold of 15 parts per billion.
Because of the health risks associated with lead poisoning, particularly in young children, Vermont has an even more stringent standard for lead — the Vermont Health Advisory Level is just one part per billion.
“Even low blood lead levels in a child’s body can slow growth, make it hard to learn, and cause behavior problems,” according to a report released this month by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the Vermont Department of Health. “Most children who have lead poisoning or high levels of lead exposure do not look or act sick.”
Though paint, not water, is the primary source of lead poisoning, contaminated water adds to the problems, and in 2017 alone, 480 children under 6 years old were poisoned.
“While the effects of lead poisoning are irreversible, it is entirely preventable,” reads the report.
During Vermont’s pilot program, which was initiated last year, the state tested 900 taps at 16 different volunteer schools.
Of the 16 schools, five of them — St. Albans City School, Richford Elementary School, Castleton Elementary School, Academy School, and Barre City Elementary & Middle School — had more lead than the 15 ppb that the EPA allows in one or more water sources. The worst contamination was found in a little-used sink in the Barre school, where tests showed 25,140 ppb (the report notes that the sink, which was removed from service, was not used for drinking water).
Two Upper Valley schools participated in the pilot program — the Hartford School District’s White River School, which teaches 205 students in pre-K through fifth grade, and the Springfield School District’s Elm Hill School, which teaches 300 students in grades K-2.
None of the results exceeded the EPA’s 15 ppb limit, but during the “first draw,” a test that is taken before the water is allowed to run, 27 of 46 of the faucets and drinking fountains at Elm Hill showed at least 1 part per billion of lead, with the highest concentration 8 ppb in a sink. After flushing the system by running water for 30 seconds, only three of the 46 outlets showed a concentration of 1 ppb, with all the rest showing either no lead, or less than 1 ppb.
At White River School, seven of 31 faucets and drinking fountains had between 1 and 3 ppb during the first draw, while post-flushing, one of 31 had a concentration of 1 ppb, while the remaining 30 were lower.
“All in all, they were excellent,” Hartford Superintendent Tom DeBalsi said. “In the few places where they were higher than 1 ppb, it was a first draw sample, which happens after a period of inactivity and usually means the faucet or fixture is the source of the lead.”
That’s an important distinction, because it’s much cheaper to replace a faucet than an entire plumbing system.
“The good news is that when lead was found, the fixes were relatively inexpensive,” Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont’s health commissioner, said in a news release announcing the report.
Because it only costs about $12 to have a lab test a water sample, “most schools are able to fully test all their taps for $800-$1,200,” Levine said. “Removing a tap from service and replacing the fixture was typically done for less than $500.”
DeBalsi said that, at White River, “the fixtures have been slated to be replaced in the few areas indicated.”
Efforts to reach officials at Elm Hill School were unsuccessful.
The report says that most of the lead in school drinking water systems is an artifact of a time when regulations were more lax.
“Many Vermont schools are in older buildings, which means they are more likely to have lead in their plumbing and plumbing fixtures,” it reads.
Until around the 1950s, lead pipes could be used in water lines, and the use of lead-based solder wasn’t banned until 1988. In 2010, Vermont reduced the permissible amount of lead in plumbing fixtures to 0.25 percent from 8 percent.
New Hampshire requires schools to test for lead, but right now, there is no regulatory requirement to test lead in Vermont schools. Ben Truman, a spokesman for the Vermont Department of Health, said on Thursday that state administrators are developing a program to make the water supplies safe for Vermont schoolchildren.
“Thanks to the voluntary participation of the 16 schools that took part in this initiative, we have demonstrated the critical importance of testing at the faucet,” said Emily Boedecker, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. “The schools have provided valuable feedback on the sampling protocol and proven the effectiveness of remedial action.”
The pilot has helped establish an infrastructure to make it easier for more schools to get lead out of their schools. The Health Department’s website has established a page to help school communities learn more about how to test their water.
DeBalsi said he plans to institute testing at all of the Hartford District’s schools, and state officials say 19 other districts have expressed an interest in testing.
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.