Water Filters Remedy Lead Levels At Bridgewater-Raritan Schools

Bridgewater, NJ -- Water fountains and faucets at John F. Kennedy Primary School are being turned back on today after high lead levels were detected.

The water had been shut off since April and bottled water was instead given out to drink and to be used for cooking purposes.

After the "elevated lead levels" were discovered at the primary school and the Wade Administration Building, the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District administration had water filters installed at points of contact where people access water for consumption, Bridgewater-Raritan Interim Superintendent Daniel Silvia said at the April 26 Board of Education meeting.

The filters were also installed at Bradley Gardens Elementary School as a precaution since the lead levels came back close to being unacceptable.

Strategic Environmental conducted the testing in April at all 11 district schools and the Wade Administration Building after recent news of lead levels at other schools in the state.

Fifteen Parts per billion is the federal Environmental Protection Agency action level for lead in drinking water.

The John F. Kennedy and the Wade building were the only two locations with lead concentrations above 15 ppb :

• John F. Kennedy Primary School – 20 ppb
• Wade Administration Building -145 ppb

Bradley Gardens came in close at 11 ppb.

After the filter installation, the water was retested with the following results:

• John F. Kennedy Primary School – .874 ppb
• Wade Administration Building –ND (not detected)
• Bradley Gardens Primary School – ND (not detected)

(Stock image)

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