Elevated Levels Of Lead Found In Cinnaminson School District's Drinking Water

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Elevated levels of lead have been discovered in the drinking water at two schools in the Cinnaminson Public School District, according to a letter posted on the district’s website.

Elevated lead levels were discovered in eight samples taken from the Eleanor Rush Intermediate School, and in two samples taken from the middle school during the most recent round of testing.

A total of 23 samples were taken at Eleanor Rush, and a total of 35 were taken at the middle school. Elevated lead levels were not found in samples taken from the high school, memorial school or the New Albany School.
The acceptable level of lead set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 15 parts per billion (ppb).

In the Eleanor Rush Intermediate School, elevated lead levels were found in the following location (with how much was found and the temporary solution included):

• Nurse’s Office Sink: 17.9 ppb; Bottled water will be available and signs that read “DO NOT DRINK, SAFE FOR HANDWASHING ONLY” are posted;
• Drinking fountain outside the main office: 17.2 ppb; The outlet was disconnected, the valve was turned off, and bottled water is available;
• Drinking fountain outside Room 117: 19.6 ppb; The outlet was disconnected, the valve was turned off, and bottled water is available;
• 2 Kitchen Sinks, 25.4 ppb and 20.2 ppb, respectively; Bottled water will be available and signs that read “DO NOT DRINK, SAFE FOR HANDWASHING ONLY” are posted;
• 2 drinking fountains outside Room 122: 29.4 ppb and 16.8 ppb, respectively; The outlet was disconnected, the valve was turned off, and bottled water is available; and
• Drinking fountain outside Room 145: 17.3 ppb; The outlet was disconnected, the valve was turned off, and bottled water is available.

In the middle school, the nurse’s office sink recorded 43 ppb. Bottled water will be available and signs that read “DO NOT DRINK, SAFE FOR HANDWASHING ONLY” are posted.

Also, the drinking fountain in the hallway across from the teacher’s lounge recorded 15.4 ppb. The outlet was disconnected, the valve was turned off, and bottled water is available.

The school district said the issue will be remedied and the water will be re-tested.

To view the full results, visit www.cinnaminson.com and click on “Drinking Water Tested For Lead” under the “headlines” section.

Lead is most dangerous for pregnant women, infants and children under 6 years of age. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. Exposure to high levels of lead during pregnancy contributes to low birth weights and developmental delays in infants.

In young children, it can result in lower IQs, reduced attention span, affect hearing and hurt performance in school, and high levels of exposure can result in brain damage. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead.

Lead is unusual in drinking water, and typically ends up there as a result of materials containing lead in the water distribution system wearing away.

This includes lead-based sodder. Congress banned the use of lead-based sodder containing more than 0.2 percent of lead in 1986, but materials meeting the most updated standards are also subject to corrosion.

When water stands in lead pipes or plumbing systems containing lead for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into the drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap in the morning may contain fairly high levels of lead.

For more information on water quality in Cinnaminson Schools, contact Maintenance Supervisor Joe Earlen at 856-829-3861, ext. 2892.

For more information about reducing lead exposure and its impact on health, visit www.epa.gov/lead, call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD or contact your local healthcare provider.

Anyone concerned about lead exposure should ask their healthcare providers about testing children to determine the levels of lead in their blood.

Patch file photo