Sac State releases drinking water lead contamination results.
After the results of a comprehensive test of the drinking water sources on the Sacramento State campus showed that 43 total sources tested above the EPA action level for lead contamination, those sources will be remediated or shut down.
The results were separated into two documents: one for properties owned and operated by Sac State (which were tested by Certified Industrial Hygienist Services, or CIH), and one for those owned by University Enterprises Inc. (which were tested by California Laboratory Services), a nonprofit corporation that acts as an auxiliary of the school.
Thirty-six of the 675 tested by CIH in buildings operated by Sac State tested above the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion, around five percent.
Seven of the 107 sources tested by California Laboratory Services were above the EPA level, six and half percent.
All sources from both lists are marked with a remediation strategy, ranging from being marked as “non-potable” water to total removal of the source, with other strategies in-between like filter installations, replacements of fixtures or entire fountains.
Steve Leland, the director of environmental health and safety, said last week that parts for the remediation strategies are already ordered and will be installed soon, with more tests scheduled afterward to ensure a positive change before any fountains are turned back on.
Leland also said last week that the majority of sources above the EPA action level were sinks, not drinking fountains, a claim corroborated by the findings.
Some specific cases on each stand out, like a bubbler drinking fountain in Sutter Hall, a residence building, which was found to have lead contamination of 100 ppb, more than six times the EPA action level.
Also noteworthy, some sinks were more than 10 times the EPA action level, including a kitchen faucet in Mendocino Hall (160 pbb), and several classroom faucets in Eureka Hall (150, 170 and 390 ppb).