Prince William County Schools (PWCS) have begun testing for lead in schools’ drinking water supply.
According to a release, the testing is being done to comply with a Virginia law – SB 1359, introduced by Senator Jeremy McPike – that is taking effect this July, which “requires testing to start with the oldest schools (built before 1986), which are most susceptible to lead problems.”
Prior to the passage of the new law, school systems relied on municipal water suppliers to do their own testing and make sure the levels were acceptable.
“Virginia’s new law is now adding an extra margin of safety by requiring School Divisions to have a testing plan,” stated a release.
To comply with the law, PWCS will be testing 44 schools in the system between now and the end of this school year.
The testing will be done when students are not in the building.
“Water samples are drawn from any device that could be used for drinking purposes. Samples are taken on weekends, after a no usage period. Lab results take 2-3 weeks. Families will be notified immediately anytime testing at their child’s school detects any lead levels requiring action,” stated a release.
This past month, PWCS has tested more than 170 water sources in four county schools and found four isolated cases of lead that were at levels not typically find in drinking water, stated a release.
“The sinks were immediately shut down upon notification from the lab. In each case, faucets suspected as the cause were quickly replaced. No water source will be put back in service until retesting confirms that lead levels are below action levels,” stated a release.
Test results and the schedule for future testing will be listed online. For information on the results, click here.
