Glenview District 34 Finds High Levels of Lead in 7 School Water Fountains

GLENVIEW, IL―Glenview School District 34 has discovered seven water fountains and a kitchen faucet with unacceptable levels of lead at its schools.

RELATED: Check Out the District's Website for Complete Water Testing Results

The high levels were found after additional testing was done in the district following the discovery that a faucet at Hoffman School used to rinse dish trays contained lead above the threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a district letter from Superintendent Mike Nicholson that went out to parents April 13. Students did not have direct contact with that faucet, and the district said repairs to the tap would be completed by April 15.

RELATED: Go to District 34's FAQ Page for More Info

The follow-up testing revealed 97 percent of the 246 water fountains and kitchen-area faucets in nine district buildings were within acceptable EPA levels, the district stated in an April 22 release.

The affected fountains―which had lead levels greater than 15 parts per billion, the EPA's threshold standard for drinking water―were found in the following schools:

• a hallway fountain at Springman School
• fountains in a hallway and Room 106 at Pleasant Ridge School
• fountains in rooms 23-26 at Hoffman School

The affected kitchen faucet also was at Hoffman. Three other taps in the district were discovered to have high levels of lead, but they are not used in food preparation and are not in contact with students.

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All of the fountains and the spigot found with unacceptable lead levels "will remain out of service until appropriate corrective measures can be completed," the district stated.

Parents with children in the schools and classroom with the affected taps have been contacted by the district, which says that it's "unlikely that our students or staff would have any adverse health effects solely attributable to water quality at Glenview District 34 schools."

The district has been sharing its findings with Dr. Jerrold Leikin, a medical toxicologist at NorthShore University HealthSystem, and he has backed up the district's assertions, according to an April 25 letter to parents from Nicholson.