District update on action related to water test results

Dear Parents,

As you may be aware, in September 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a new law that requires public schools in New York to test all water currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes for lead levels.

The state defined 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead as the action level for test results, meaning that if any test result from a water outlet exceeds 15 ppb, schools must take action to prevent these sources from being used for drinking or cooking until the lead level is remediated.

This letter is to update you that the district has taken significant action to replace any remaining infrastructure that returned results above the state-mandated action level of 15 ppb. This summer the district has replaced twenty faucets, piping in the Middleburgh Elementary School kitchen, and removed drinking fountains in Middleburgh Elementary School. These actions were done over the summer to disrupt school instruction as little as possible.

Additional testing has shown that three sources of water remain above the state-mandated action level. Two of these sources, an elementary faculty bathroom sink and an elementary gym office bathroom sink, are not used by students for water drinking or food preparation. Both sites are clearly marked with signs that prohibit drinking. The third source, three sinks in the Middleburgh Elementary School kitchen, have not been used since initial test results came back on October 27, 2016. Other sinks in the kitchen that have tested below the action level have continued to be used for food preparation. The piping in the kitchen has been replaced, and the district is awaiting new test results. The outlets that have tested above the state-mandated action level will remain offline and/or labeled until a remediation plan is completed and further testing shows that lead levels are below the action level.

Please be aware that the district has provided four filtered water bottle filling stations throughout the building.

The district takes these findings very seriously and continues to work closely with the Health, Safety, and Risk Management Service at Capital Region BOCES to ensure that we can continue to provide safe and healthy drinking water for students and staff. We will continue to keep you informed as we work through this process. If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please contact the district office at (518) 827-3625.

Sincerely,

Raymond Colucciello, Ed. D.
Interim Superintendent

For more information on water testing in Middleburgh Central School District buildings, please see our Water Testing page.