Drinking Water Quality
As of 2021, Washington state law (RCW 28A.210.410 and RCW 43.70.830) requires drinking water to be tested for lead in all K–12 public schools that were built or had all plumbing replaced prior to 2016. The purpose is to identify drinking water outlets that are potential sources of lead exposure. It is common for lead to accumulate in older or infrequently used drinking water outlets. These outlets are identified through testing so they can be shut off or replaced to reduce exposure to lead from school drinking water.
Testing
How Lead Testing Works
- Before testing, the water fixture must be unused for 8-20 hours.
- The water must be drawn into a test bottle from the fixture without running first.
- The samples are taken by the DOH or a third-party testing company and delivered to a laboratory to be analyzed.
- The school district receives test results back from the Washington State Department of Health.
- The results come back in parts per billion of lead in the water (PPB).
- 0-5 PPB is safe for drinking water and food prep. 6-14 PPB means the water source can be used for hand washing only, not drinking or food prep. If results come back as 15 PPB or greater, the water is shut off until a remedy is made.
After Testing
- RSD receives test results from the Washington State Department of Health. This is subject to their schedule and can take some time.
- Results are shown in parts per billion of lead in the water, or PPB.
- 0-5 PPB is safe for drinking water and food prep. When lead levels are 6-14 PPB, the water source can be used for hand washing only, not drinking or food prep. If results come back as 15 PPB or higher, maintenance will shut off the fixture until a remedy is made.
- The remedy may include replacement.
Results and Action Plan
Schools with lead levels lower than 5 ppb are not shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact
Brad Anderson
Director of Facilities and Operations
bradley.anderson@rsd.edu