The Merced City School District recently completed a voluntary process to have the water at all 18 of our schools tested for lead as an extra precaution to ensure the safety of students and staff. We are pleased to share that each and every sample was well below the maximum contamination limit (MCL) of 15 parts per billion.
While officials had no previous concerns about the water, this was done as a proactive step because of a new statewide initiative that allows K-12 schools in California to receive lead testing at no cost to the district.
The State Water Resources Control Board explained the initiative in a press release dated January 17, 2017. It stated, “Under the new requirement, testing is voluntary for schools, but if the schools make a written request, the community water systems must collect the samples within three months and report the results back to the school within 10 business days after receiving the results from the laboratory, or two business days if a result exceeds 15 parts per billion. Sampling locations can include drinking fountains, cafeteria and food preparation areas, and reusable water bottle filling stations.”
State officials also explained this process goes beyond the extensive testing that is already conducted by community water systems to ensure that lead has not entered the water through old pipes or fixtures at the school sites.
MCSD collaborated with the City of Merced and California American Water, which serve all of the district’s schools, to have the water tested. The samples were collected from multiple sources at each campus during the month of September. The sampling was done at 6 a.m. on scheduled dates to avoid any impact on students and staff. The testing was then completed at independent labs certified by the state Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP), and the district received the results in October. The results confirmed that all 18 schools are well below the action level of 15 parts per billion, and therefore there is no need to re-sample at this time.
Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Teresa-Saldivar Morse says, “The safety of our students will always be the number one priority for the Merced City School District. That is why we chose to participate in this voluntary testing, and we will continue to be vigilant and proactive in order to protect the children we serve.”
If you have any questions, please contact our Risk Management Specialist at dperkins@mcsd.k12.ca.us.