LEVELS OF LEAD IN ROCKWOOD WATER REQUIRE CORRECTIVE ACTION; STUDENT DRINKING WATER TESTED AS HIGH AS 17 TIMES THE LEVEL MISSOURI SAYS IS ALLOWED.
The district tested the water because a new Missouri law requires all school districts, that get state funding, to be tested by next August. This is part of the information the district made public:
"The Rockwood School District is committed to the safety and well-being of our students and staff. In alignment with that commitment and in compliance with the new Missouri state law, Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act, over the past four months we had a professional environmental consulting firm initiate and complete testing of our water. This week, we received those results."
NEARLY 200 SAMPLES = TOO MUCH LEAD
According to the district, overall, "1,453 water outlets were tested in school buildings across the district. 87% (1,263) met the new Missouri statutory level of 5 ppb or less."
That means 13% were too high, the equivalent of 190 samples that were over 5 ppb (parts per billion). 37 buildings are listed on the report. Most had some samples above 5 ppb. Some had no samples above that level.
WATER THAT STUDENTS DRINK
Some samples that were too high include water that students drink, from water fountains and water bottle filler stations, where students refill their water bottles.
WATER FOUNTAIN: 80.4 PPB
The district's report showed a water fountain by Room 27 in Geggie Elementary tested at 80.4 ppb, roughly 16 times the 5 ppb level that state says is acceptable.
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| Source: Rockwood Lead Testing information |
At Rockwood Valley Middle school, a bottle filler station in the hallway by Room 2004 tested at 89.4 ppb, approximately 17 times higher than the allowed limit.
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| Source: Rockwood |
At Eureka High School, in the hallway by Room C128, a water fountain tested 40.4, and a water fountain by the pool tested at 48.3 ppb.
A KITCHEN SINK: 73 TIMES HIGHER THAN ALLOWED
Quite a few samples that were too high were found in the kitchens, such as kitchen sinks. The worst we saw was Crestview Middle school, where a food prep sink in the kitchen tested at 365 ppb, which is 73 times higher than the state of Missouri says is safe.
EHS HAD THE MOST
According to the district's information, Eureka High School had 29 samples that were over the limit, more than in any other building. The information sent to parents stated some came from water sources that are infrequently used.
In that email to Eureka High School parents, district officials said every water source would be out of service within 24 hours until they can be fixed and retested:
"Each of the water sources listed above has been (or will be in the next 24 hours) taken out of service by our facilities team, with the exception of the three combination ovens. The ovens can be used with steam and convection, but they will be used without steam until the filter can be replaced and the ovens can be retested. The other affected water sources (seven sinks, six kitchen faucets, seven drinking fountains, four bottle fillers and two hand washing sinks) will remain out of use until the source of the contamination is identified and the fixtures are repaired or replaced and then retested to ensure the sources are within the acceptable state-mandated threshold. "
According to the Centers for Disease Control, no safe blood level has been identified for young children, and even low levels of lead can result in behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, and health problems such as anemia.
In adults, it can cause health issues such as increased blood pressure and decreased kidney function.
Additionally:
"Risk will vary depending on the individual, the chemical conditions of the water, and the amount consumed. For example, infants who drink formula prepared with lead-contaminated tap water may be at a higher risk of exposure because of the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children because human skin does not absorb lead in water."
Here's what's on Rockwood's website. It includes a link to see the results for every school: Levels of lead by school
EUREKA HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS:
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| Source: Rockwood |