Why Gregori High has declared its water off-limits for drinking, cooking
Drinking fountains are off-limits at Gregori High School, as is using tap water for food preparation, after a test of the school’s water system turned up higher lead levels than allowed.
Ten locations on the Pirrone Road campus in Salida were tested for lead and copper as required by the state. Four locations came back above the “state action” level of 15 micrograms per liter, Associate Superintendent Tim Zearley told Gregori families in a letter Tuesday.
“The district will provide bottled water for all the students and staff while the water is being retested,” the letter said. “Retesting is scheduled for later this week, and results could be available as early as Monday.”
Signs are posted at all water fountains, the letter said, and the tap water is safe for hand washing and showering in the locker rooms. Bottled water is being boiled to clean the utensils used in cafeteria food preparation, Zearley told The Bee.
Because the school is on its own well, not part of the public water supply, testing for lead and copper is required every three years, Zearley said. It’s unknown, then, exactly how long the lead levels have been higher than acceptable.
Asked if Gregori families have reason to worry, Zearley said, “At this point, we don’t believe so, but we’re taking every precautionary measure.”
Modesto City Schools is working with Stanislaus County health officials to determine what constitutes an unsafe level of lead. And though only four of the 10 water collection devices on campus showed elevated lead, the school is entirely eliminating water consumption.
The district will work to determine if the elevated levels are a water source problem or a fixture problem, Zearley said. But with Gregori open since only 2010, a fixture problem is unlikely, he said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website says, “Lead can enter drinking water when service pipes that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures with lead solder, from which significant amounts of lead can enter into the water, especially hot water.”
As for what led the lead levels to become elevated at Gregori, and how the situation can be remedied, Zearley said, “That is what we’re pursuing at the moment. We don’t know the answer to that because we’ve not had known issues at the campus.”
The district got the water news late in the day Tuesday and quickly posted a letter to families on its Facebook page. Copies of the letter, in English and Spanish, were given to the school Wednesday to send home with students.
“We are continually working with the County Health Department regarding this matter,” Zearley’s letter says. “While we recognize the inconvenience, and concern this may cause, we are confident that we can provide safe drinking water for the students and staff at Gregori High School.”
This story was originally published August 22, 2018 at 8:20 AM.