The Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Central Kitsap, North Kitsap and South Kitsap districts have all voluntarily sampled drinking water at their schools in the past three years, responding, in part, to rules scheduled to take effect in 2017 requiring districts to test for lead (implementation of the requirement was delayed due to a lack in funding).
At 20 of those schools, fewer than 10 percent of fixtures tested produced results above the action level.
When fixtures produced samples with lead levels above the district’s threshold, the hardware was replaced and retested.
Why sample?
While lead levels were low at most Kitsap schools, health officials and school administrators say the aim of water sampling is to reduce overall lead exposure for students and staff.
That said, children 6 and younger are at the greatest risk for lead poisoning, and school taps and water fountains aren’t a major source of lead exposure.
Even new fixtures may pour water samples with elevated lead, but continued flushing typically lowers lead levels.
Fixtures are returned to service after producing samples lower than the action level.
At several schools — including Ordway Elementary on Bainbridge in 2016, Crownhill Elementary in Bremerton and Woodlands Elementary in Central Kitsap earlier this year — faucets were turned off and students and staff were provided with bottled drinking water until lead levels could be reduced.
Vlach at Central Kitsap School District said fixtures that produced water with very high lead levels tended to be faucets or fountains that were rarely, if ever, used by students and staff.