BENTON HARBOR — The test results for Benton Harbor Area Schools’ water fixtures in the city are in, showing that only five of 135 were dispensing water that exceeded the federal action level of 15 parts per billion for lead.
He said that an additional 20 water fixtures will be replaced because they exceed the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s voluntary water standard of 5 ppb.
“We’re in the process of contracting with a local vendor to replace the fixtures,” he said.
Herrera ordered the test, though by law, school districts only have to test the water as it comes into the building if they get their water from a municipal system.
The buildings that were tested were STEAM Academy at MLK, the Charles Grey Teen Center, Dream Academy, Benton Harbor High School, Discovery Enrichment Center and the Cosmetology Center.
That fixture tested as having 642 ppb for lead.
Two fixtures at the high school tested high, at 35 ppb and 15 ppb.
The Cosmetology Center had one fixture testing at 15 ppb.
The teen center had a fixture testing at 19 ppb.
“The results show that the elevated readings were not due to the building plumbing systems but were directly associated with the fixture sampled,” stated a press release from the school district.