Briarcliff Schools Had Elevated Lead Levels in Six Spots

A test of drinking water in Briarcliff Manor school turned up six spots with elevated lead levels.

District officials have turned off water at those spots pending further analysis. It's likely that some older pipes may have to be replaced, they said.

Here are the communications to the community from schools Superintendent James Kaishian:

Given the increased understanding and sensitivity surrounding this issue, and in the absence of specific guidance from the state, the district voluntarily conducted water testing for lead following established EPA protocol. We felt it imperative to conduct this testing given our fundamental responsibility to best ensure environmental quality in support of the health and safety of students, staff and all who use our schools and district facilities.

Once again, in addition to following recommended protocols in our building maintenance plan, we will be studying the issue in consultation with experts over the next several months.

Very Sincerely,

Dr. James Kaishian

Superintendent of Schools

A message from BRIARCLIFF MANOR SCHOOLS

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As I am sure you are aware, over the last several months, regional and national concerns over institutional water quality have been a significant topic of discussion. As we know, natural and human-made contaminants exist in the air, water and soil. Assessing and managing the concentration of these contaminants is essential to maintaining a safe environment.

The water in our school district comes from a municipal supplier, which regularly tests the quality of the water and treats it to meet standards. To ensure that the water inside our school met Environmental Protection Agency standards for safe drinking water, I recently ordered the testing of the district’s water supply for lead contaminants in each of the three schools and both campuses.

I am writing today to provide background on actions taken, share the results of the water sampling tests and give an overview of actions to follow.

The district contracted with a nationally recognized environmental services and industrial hygiene company. The company collected over 140 samples from more than 70 locations, including all water fountains, food prep sinks and other drinking water areas in each of our schools. Each location was sampled following the EPA protocol for testing and each source was tested twice. The first sample was taken immediately from the water source without letting the water run before sampling, and following EPA’s protocol, a second sampling of the same water source was taken following a 30-second flush.

Five individual samples at Todd Elementary and one sample at the High School exceeded the EPA guidance threshold after the first drawing. Of those six locations, four met the EPA guidance threshold and two exceeded the EPA standard on the second draw after the 30 second flush. Those locations were a hallway drinking fountain at Todd and a spigot in the boys’ locker room shower area in the high school.

After consulting with environmental experts and the school district’s physician, we do not have reason to believe these isolated sources of drinking water in the district would lead to adverse health impacts for students or staff. However, all of the six sources at which elevated samples were taken were shut off immediately and remain off line pending further analysis.

It is likely that the cause of the higher readings in these three locations is due to older piping that must be replaced. We are studying this with our engineering consultants. In addition, the report identifies several recommendations for ongoing maintenance of water quality that we will incorporate into our building maintenance plan. I encourage you to review the attached reports, which are comprehensive. Follow-up discussion on the reports will be held at the Board meeting on June 6.

We remain committed to maintaining environmental quality in support of the health and safety of students, staff and all who use our schools. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I will update the school community should it become necessary.

Very sincerely,
Dr. James Kaishian