Maplewood, South Orange Schools Find Elevated Lead Level In Water: Officials

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — South Orange-Maplewood School District administrators say that water samples at several facilities in the district recently tested above the U.S. EPA action level for lead in drinking water, including a girls' locker room, a teachers' lounge and the concession stand at Underhill Field.

On Monday, SOMA Superintendent John Ramos issued the following statement about the testing, stating that nine out of 223 samples tested above the EPA level.

“SOMSD is committed to protecting student, teacher, and staff health. To protect our community and be in compliance with the Department of Education regulations and technical guidance developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, SOMSD identified and tested all drinking water and food preparation outlets. Of the 223 samples taken, all but 9 tested below the lead action level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for lead in drinking water (15 µg/l [ppb]).”

According to Ramos, the drinking water outlets that tested above the 15 µg/l level included:

• Seth Boyden (Hallway by Room 105) - First Draw Result in µg/l (ppb) - 444 ppb
• South Mountain (Room 3) - 17.2 ppb
• South Mountain Annex (Hallway by Room 103) - 28.5 ppb
• South Mountain Annex (Room 103) - 30.3 ppb
• Tuscan (Room 22) - 46.1 ppb
• Maplewood Middle (Girls Locker Room) - 18 ppb
• Maplewood Middle (Kitchen) - 16.7 ppb
• Maplewood Middle (Teacher Lounge) - 46.8 ppb
• Underhill Field (Concession Stand) - 15.3 ppb

DISTRICT PLANS REMEDIAL ACTION

Ramos said that in accordance with Department of Education regulations, the district implemented “immediate remedial measures” for any drinking water outlet with a result greater than the action level of 15 µg/l (parts per billion [ppb]).

“As soon as we received the results, the facilities department pulled these nine water sources offline, covered them, and labeled them as unsafe to drink,” Ramos wrote on Monday. “No one should attempt to use or reconnect these water sources. We have bottled water available at the affected schools.”

These water sources will be replaced and/or equipped with a filtering system and retested before additional use is permitted, Ramos said.

Last year, lead testing was completed and all areas met safety standards, Ramos said. These results can be seen on the district website here.

Ramos added:

“We recognize that families and staff at the affected schools will have questions. Information from the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water Supply and Geoscience [can be seen here]. We are meeting today with the South Orange Health Officer, since South Orange recently experienced a water issue, and with the Maplewood Health Officer. We will share any additional information that becomes available. In the meantime, if you have health concerns about the lead testing, we encourage you to consult with your doctor.”

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