BENTON HARBOR, MI — Lead testing results for Benton Harbor Area Schools show elevated levels of lead in five fixtures in the district.
Benton Harbor schools immediately began using solely bottled water for consumption, the district said in a release at the time.
A total of 25 fixtures tested above 5 ppb and were immediately turned off by school staff.
"Therefore, please know that it is highly unlikely any students or staff members consumed water that contained contaminates," the release said.
Five of the fixtures tested at or above the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level for lead of 15 parts per billion.
A table of test results provided by the district showed one testing location in the MLK STEM Academy on Britain Avenue tested at 642 ppb, more than 40 times higher than the EPA action level.
School spokesperson Amy Nichols said this fixture was a prep sink in the school’s kitchen that is not used by staff.
The lead levels are high there because the water sits stagnant and is never flushed through the faucet, Nichols said.
The next highest locations tested at 35 ppb, 19 ppb and 15 ppb, the results table showed.
The district will replace all fixtures that tested high and retest for lead levels before they are in use again, the release said.