Lead-Tainted Water Fixture Replacements At Portland Schools To Begin Sept. 1

PORTLAND, OR — Portland Public Schools officials on Thursday announced work will soon begin to replace some of the fixtures at all 90 district schools to reduce the danger of lead-tainted drinking water.

The massive project is set to begin at Astor Elementary School, 5601 N. Yale St., at 4 p.m. Sept. 1, according to district spokesman Dave Northfield, who noted the replacement project would cover 15 schools at a time. (Originally, PPS officials believed the work would begin Aug. 30, but a scheduling error has forced the work to begin a couple days later.)

The other schools included in this wave are: Lewis Elementary School, Woodstock School, Chapman Elementary School, Skyline Elementary, West Sylvan Middle School, Atkinson Elementary School, Richmond Elementary School, the Rose City Park campus, Sacajawea Head Start, Beverly Cleary/Fernwood campuses, Applegate Head Start, Chief Joseph Elementary School, Alliance High School at Meek, and Hayhurst Elementary School.

Explaining how district officials decided which schools would be included in the first-wave of upgrades, Northfield said in a statement that PPS schools serving younger kids were given priority, and that whether "the work can be done with minimal disruption from plumbing crews and water shut-offs" was also a factor.

Northfield also said all work would be done when students were not present on their respective campuses.

The whole project is funded by a 2017 bond meant to invest $150 million into health and safety improvements, Northfield said, noting the budget for the fixture replacements currently being performed is set at $28 million.

Because of the overarching bond, classroom sinks and drinking fountains will not be upgraded in this round of fixes and will instead be improved as part of the district's larger plan to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Until all fixtures are replaced, Northfield said, students and staff will continue drinking bottled water.

Work on the second wave of 15 schools will reportedly begin roughly six weeks after the first wave is completed.

This post has been updated to reflect a change in the water fixture replacement start date.

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