How Brookline Responded to High Lead Levels at Old Lincoln

BROOKLINE, MA - Old Lincoln was among 20 schools in Massachusetts to test high for lead levels in its water, according to a report released Monday by the Boston Globe. 

The report found that in June of 2014, water in a fountain at the school tested at 21.5 parts per billion and a hydrant tested at 16.5 parts per billion, both higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended drinking level of 15 parts per billion.  

But according to Mary Ellen Dunn, Brookline Public Schools' Deputy Superintendent for Administration & Finance, the building was not in use at the time of testing.

The Old Lincoln School, which closed in the early 1990's, has since reopened as a swing space to use while other buildings are undergoing renovations. 

"It was used when Town Hall was being renovated, when they were working on the Runkle School and now it's being used for grades 5-8 at the Devotion School," Dunn told Patch. "But nobody was in that space in June of 2014."

Dunn said that the community has been aware of the problem for quite some time, and a bottled water program has been implemented to provide safe drinking water to students in the building.

In an email, Dunn wrote that all of the school's fountains remain turned off, and traditional sinks have been replaced with spray faucets to discourage students from filling up water bottles. The school provides bottled water dispensers for students, parents and staff to use. 

All cooking, washing and food preparation is also done using bottled water. 

A response team comprised of various city, school and health officials was formed to investigate the source of the elevated levels, which it believes to be old internal piping in the building. This summer, specifically identified piping will be replaced and the water will be re-tested. 

Elevated lead levels gained heightened attention this past year, following revelations in Flint. Particularly for children, lead in drinking water is a serious concern. Exposure to unsafe levels has been tied to behavioral issues and lower IQs. 

Image credit: David Salafia via Flickr / Creative Commons