Schools
High Lead Levels Found in 4 Lake Forest School Water Fountains
Fixtures at Lake Forest High School and Deer Path Middle School were shut down and will be turned back on when they are fixed.
LAKE FOREST, IL — Water from three Lake Forest High School drinking fountains, as well as a Deer Path Middle School fountain, recently were found to have high lead levels, according to messages sent out by the superintendent of Lake Forest Community High School District 115 and Lake Forest School District 67.
The three fountains on the high school's East Campus were located outside rooms 14, 203 and 109, and they had lead levels of 19 parts per billion, 17.3 parts per billion and 18.9 parts per billion, respectively. The Environmental Protection Agency has set 15 parts per billion as the limit before action needs to be taken.
The district shut down those fountains Aug. 22, the first day of school, and they won't be turned back on until they've been fixed, Superintendent Michael Simeck stated in a letter posted on the District 115 website and emailed to parents.
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Two sinks with lead levels between 2 ppb and 15 ppb also were shut down Tuesday, Aug. 30, as precaution despite being within the EPA's acceptable range, the letter added. Like the drinking fountains, the sinks will not be turned back on until they're fixed.
At Deer Path Middle School, a single drinking fountain in the west cafeteria was found with a lead level of 22 ppb. It was shut down before school started, and an inline filter was installed on it, Simeck stated in a District 67 letter.
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Like with Lake Forest High School, lead levels in the acceptable range were found in other water fixtures throughout the middle school. Ten drinking fountains with lead levels ranging from 2 ppb to 15 ppb also were turned off as a precaution Friday, Aug. 26, Simeck said. They will be turned back on once they've been fixed.
Water testing for the schools in Districts 115 and 67 was done over the summer, and samples were taken from all consumable water sources—that includes drinking fountains, ice machines, sinks and other fixtures—in district buildings. Those samples then were evaluated by an outside, independent laboratory.
Parents can go to District 115's website and District 67's website to find testing results for all the schools.
PHOTO: (Image via Shutterstock)
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