Clark County school districts are still in the process of testing drinking water for elevated lead content after several Tacoma schools reported high lead content in school water last month and alarming lead levels were reported in the city water supply in Flint, Mich., earlier this year.
Vancouver Public Schools tested water in all schools and district facilities. Of the 47 sites tested, 32 had no lead detected at all.
“All schools came back within the safe rate,” said Mick Hoffman, the district’s assistant superintendent, chief of operations. “We had only two schools test over .002 parts per million. That’s far below what’s considered allowable.”
The state’s allowable amount of lead is .015 parts per million. The Vancouver district is retesting the water at any sites that had any amount of lead, Hoffman said.
“We want to confirm the results for the safety of our kids,” Hoffman said.
Washougal School District Superintendent Mike Stromme said one drinking fountain at Excelsior High School measured .0015 parts per million, which is within the safe zone. Lead wasn’t detected in any other water source in the district, Stromme said.
Evergreen Public Schools began collecting water samples this week from all water sources, including potable water in drinking fountains and water from sinks in chemistry labs, at all schools and facilities, said Gail Spolar, district spokeswoman. The results should be available by the end of the school year.
Camas School District delivered water samples to the lab on May 20, and results are expected by Friday, Doreen McKercher, district spokeswoman, wrote in an email. The district is going to test water at schools built before 2000 — Dorothy Fox Elementary School, Lacamas Heights Elementary School, Liberty Middle School and Skyridge Middle School — and the school administration building.
Testing is expected to happen soon in the Ridgefield School District, according to an email from Neil Brinson, maintenance and operations manager. Brinson wrote that the district has contacted a local company to handle the testing, which will be done in all four schools.
Battle Ground Public Schools will test all school water for lead this summer. The La Center school district relies on the city to test its water.
The Woodland, Green Mountain and Hockinson school districts did not respond to a recent request for information.
