Parents were notified by phone Wednesday about the lead testing results, and drinking fountains have been blocked and cafeteria food has been prepared off site since the notification,district spokeswoman Karin Eberhard said. The cafeteria has also been using disposable trays since the notification so dishes are not being washed at the school, Eberhard said.

Bob Kuhn, the district’s assistant superintendent for operations, said the test at Killip was part of a pilot program from ADEQ.

The department tested the water in eight places at the school and one of the results tested at 17 parts per billion of lead to water, slightly higher than the recommended limit of 15 parts per billion.

In the call that went out to parents, district officials said the test took place on January 21, and said the water is safe for hand-washing and for toilets.

“We are taking precautions to provide our students and staff with alternative drinking water,” the call said. “Once we have the opportunity to sit with district and state officials, we will determine exactly what the issues are and develop a long-range plan of solutions.”

Eberhard said bottled water has been provided for drinking at the school, and Kuhn said the district is installing in-line filters and will be testing them throughout the week to determine when the water is safe to drink.

All FUSD schools will be tested by a private testing company this week, Kuhn said, and ADEQ plans to test FUSD schools later in the program.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, lead poisoning can contribute to slowed development, learning delays, behavior problems, brain, liver and kidney problems, hearing loss and, in extreme cases, coma, seizures and death.

Blanca Santos, whose son attends Killip, said she received notification from the school about the water late last week, and said she was satisfied with the school’s outreach to inform parents about the issue.

Her son told her the school has given the students plenty of access to bottled water, but she said she told her son to take an extra water bottle from home to make sure the water he is drinking is safe.

Santos said she is not too worried about her son’s exposure because she encourages him to bring his own water bottle and because the level detected was only slightly above the acceptable threshold.

Caroline Oppleman, the spokeswoman for ADEQ, said the testing program is a partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Arizona School Facilities Board and the Arizona Department of Education. The program is meant to take a proactive stance, and does not necessarily determine compliance, Oppleman said.

Oppleman said the program was designed to help eliminate children’s exposure to lead through water, which can help decrease exposure overall. Oppleman said water is generally considered a low source of lead exposure for children, listing paint, toys and imported spices and candies as higher contributors. However, by lowering exposure to lead through water, the department aims to lower lead exposure altogether.

Paul Bakalis, the executive director of the Arizona School Facilities Board, said he learned about the elevated level at Killip Monday.

“The protocol is to have them use the School Facilities Board’s financial resources to isolate the source of the lead, so then the board can work to remediate the lead in the water,” Bakalis said.

The district can now apply for a building renewal grant, which Bakalis is in charge of approving. If the grant is given, the organizations can work together to test the source of the contamination, which Bakalis said is usually approved in a matter of hours. The School Facilities Board has about $30 million a year allotted to sustain the life of school buildings, Bakalis said.

The costs to remedy the contamination can vary widely depending on the source, which could range from water heaters to pipes to solder, Bakalis said. Before 1987, solder was allowed to contain a certain level of lead, which was later changed to allow no lead or very small amounts, meaning buildings with pipes that were installed before 1987 are at a higher risk of lead contamination, Bakalis said.

While schools that use public water systems are not required to test for lead, Bakalis said FUSD tests regularly because some schools use their own wells.

The board supports any efforts the districts make to help remedy the contamination, Bakalis said, including installing in-line filters or other changes.

“We are a capital management agency that has the best interest of the kids in our schools in our focus,” Bakalis said. “We will do whatever is required to make sure they are safe, secure and have access to clean drinking water.”

Trevor Baggiore, the director of ADEQ’s water quality division, said this program is the first of its kind in Arizona to examine lead levels in water at schools. The closest comparison is a 2004 study that tested 45 Arizona schools, Baggiore said.

The department is dedicating $850,000 of its budget to the testing to determine any issues in schools that have been determined to be at risk for lead contamination, Baggiore said.

However, Oppleman said the department is also testing newer buildings, built after 1987, to determine if the protections that were put in place are keeping water sources safer.