North Adams School District Completing Repairs on Affected Water Taps
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The school district has nearly completed repairs and replacement to water fixtures that showed elevated levels of lead and copper.
All but six water faucets remain to be replaced before a second round of testing takes place.
The city tested some 353 water fountains, faucets and other water taps in September through a state grant through the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust. The results released in December showed 50 points were identified as exceeding the state levels, most of those being non-drinking water faucets.
Superintendent Barbara Malkas told the School Committee on Tuesday that the district had followed the guidance and technical assistance provided by the state Department of Environmental Protection to mitigate the water issues.
"We followed exactly the guidance that was provided," she said, noting the district's notification to faculty, students and the community on the results, and the immediate shut-off of affected drinking water taps. The DEP has since given the nod to the district's repair plan, Malkas said, "They have agreed to all of the elements. We're in the middle of completing that."
Action levels for lead are .015 milligrams per liter of water and tests found a range from 0.16 to .24 (the two highest being in custodial/work sinks). The state level for copper is 1.3 milligrams per liter; the bulk of the copper issues were found at Colegrove Park Elementary School and all were just over the level with the exception of one classroom sink at 2.3.
All of the contamination levels were caused by pipes and/or lead solder in the faucet fixtures. The city's water supply is clear.
Malkas said the state guidance for Colegrove, Drury and Johnson schools were to flush the water for 30 seconds before using.
"There is a real strong belief that that will be more than sufficient and when we do our next sampling that those numbers will come back under the recommended levels," she said, adding that the "very, very low, close to being below detectable" copper levels at the new Colegrove School were considered caused by new piping. Flushing, in that case, was also the recommendation of the state and the contractor.
"At Brayton, two faucets that were used for the consumption of water have been replaced and all but six of the water faucets used for consumption have been replaced at Greylock," Malkas continued. "The only reason we haven't replaced the remaining six is because they're on back order. As soon as they come in, we will finish that work and notify the [DEP] and they will come in and do a second round of testing."
In answer to questions from the committee, the superintendent said the taps were not believed to be immediate health concerns and that the affected faucets were shut off and signs posted as soon as the results were received.
The second round of sampling will determine the city's next steps if anything more is needed but Malkas said the current actions are "expected to mitigate any concerns."
Mayor Richard Alcombright, chairman of the committee, thanked the school administration and facilities for quickly dealing with the issues.
"We came out with a lot of information ... I think that information helped people absorb it in a rational way," he said.
In other business, Heather Boulger was re-elected vice chairman and Karen Bond, secretary.
• Subcommittee assignments were made as follows: professional staff negotiations with Mark Moulton, as chair, Nicholas Fahey and John Hockridge; non-professional staff negotiations with Hockridge as chair, Heather Boulger and Tara Jacobs; finance & facilities with Moulton as chair, Fahey and Jacobs; Endowment Committee, with Karen Bond as chair.
• Malkas reported the school department budget was frozen on Dec. 20 and any purchases from that date must have her approval. She said was to ensure control over tracking purchasing and other expenditures. However, the school budget expenditures to date are "very typical for this point in the year." Approximately $6 million of the nearly $17 million budget has been used as of Dec. 15, and another $44,000 is encumbered.
• The superintendent also pointed to the retirement of Colegrove Park Elementary custodian John Luczynski effective on Jan. 3. Luczynski had been employed by the district since 1999 and "we want to wish him the very best as he goes off into his retirement," said Malkas.
• Kimberly Roberts-Morandi, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, reviewed the upcoming changes with "New Generation" Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests.
Tags: contamination, drinking water, NAPS,
