By Eric Stock and Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – Six of Unit 5’s oldest school buildings have tested positive for lead levels that are higher than state guidelines.
Superintendent Mark Daniel said parents of students at Fairview, Colene Hoose, Hudson, Parkside, Sugar Creek and Towanda elementary schools have all been notified that the district plans to replace and clean aerators, which are at the end of water faucets.
“We’re finding out that lead will tend to accumulate in the aerator,” Daniel said. “So this might be actually a good thing for all people to do in their households as well. Flush, flush your waters, clean your aerator.”
The higher lead levels were all detected in sinks, and not drinking fountains. The cost to replace the aerators where led was detected isn’t known.
“So if it’s a fountain, if it’s a sink in a classroom or we think water is going to be used, as well as sinks in our cafeteria in the kitchen areas. So any place we think water is going to be consumed, those sinks and fountains are being tested.”
Daniel added he’s not surprised by the findings, but he adds most of the districts schools haven’t yet been tested.
“Please be assured that we will continue to take all action necessary to protect student health,” the letter sent to parents stated. “Mitigation and water management are in progress. Water outlets are being shut off and we have already begun to take appropriate remedial action.”
The older buildings were tested first, as the law passed in response to the Flint, Michigan water crisis requires districts to look for lead in schools built before Jan. 1, 1987.
District 87 recently reported four of its schools had lead levels higher than the state’s stricter standard of five parts per billion.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
