Lead In School Water. Wenatchee District Shares Testing Results And Next Steps

Wenatchee School District has released results from lead testing of drinking water at every school and support building. An independent environmental firm checked more than 900 faucets, drinking fountains and bottle filler units over two years ending in June. According to the district, 87 of them tested above 5 parts per billion, which is Washington's action level for schools. The results were presented to the School Board on Tuesday.

The district says it replaced affected fixtures with lead-free ones, then flushed and conditioned them before retesting. Outlets that still tested above 5 ppb were removed from service or posted as handwashing only, with no food preparation. No elevated results were found at six sites, and at seven locations replacing fixtures resolved the problem. At other buildings, the district believes the remaining lead likely comes from pipes inside the building. The district says lead in school water typically comes from older internal plumbing rather than the water source.

The district is seeking funding to replace supply lines in one wing of Mission View. A $275 million bond on the November 3 ballot would include plumbing replacement at Wenatchee High School. An action plan is open for public comment through October 27, by email or in person at that day's board meeting, when the board is expected to consider adopting it. The district encourages families with concerns to talk to a health care provider about blood lead testing.