Parents Concerned After Tests Show Lead In The Water At New Rochelle Elementary School
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Lead in the water at a Westchester school has some parents concerned, after some wide ranging test results over the last month.
As CBS2's Sonia Rincon reported, Davis Elementary School in New Rochelle is getting water coolers delivered with some of the water fountains still turned off inside.
The district said it tested the water because of the reports of high lead levels in Newark and Flint, Michigan.
The only findings above what the EPA considers safe were at Davis. The EPS has a threshold of 15 lead parts per billion. There were more than 10,000 in Flint.
The school district told parents that it found a level of 42 in one water fountain, but after letting the water run for 30 seconds the found with 42 came back with only 3, well below the threshold.
More tests followed.
The district had dozens of faucets and fountains sampled int he building and told parents in a follow up memo that "...two drinking fountains contained levels that were still above the threshold of 15 ppb even after the 30 second flush."
What it didn't mention is that one of the samples had an initial level of 701, then 59.4. The full report is on the district's website.
It's alarming news for Robert McKinlay who has a son at Davis who suffers from lead poisoning blamed on paint dust in their old home.
"And the parents that are taking this calmly, thinking that it's no big deal, understand this is something that needs to be addressed immediately with their doctors," he said.
Parents at Davis said they were reassured by the information and action from the school.
"I mean they brought in water bottles, the brought in water tanks, and they've communicated every step of the way," Kristin Smith said.
"Yes, I feel that they gave enough information," Janine Dodd said.
They don't plan to get their children tested, but McKinlay believes they should.
"Immediately. It's a blood test for the blood lead levels and they will know immediately what's happening with the child," he said.
Neither the superintendent nor the principal would speak with CBS2 on camera, but the district did provide a memo from a doctor saying "I see no need for blood lead testing of children" and commending the district for the steps it's taken.
The district said the fountains that are still turned off are in kindergarten and first grade classrooms along the same hallway.
The district also said it's initiated further testing of the pipes in that part of the building.
