Schools
UPDATE: Elevated Lead Levels Found in Water at 5 Brick Schools
Five Brick schools, including Brick Township High School, had lead levels in the drinking water that exceeded state guidelines, the schools said.
Five Brick Township schools had lead levels in drinking water that exceeded state guidelines, the district said in a statement issued late Friday afternoon.
Those schools included:
- Drum Point Elementary School
- Brick Township High School
- Emma Havens Young Elementary School
- Lake Riviera Middle School
- Osbornville Elementary School
The district said it is shutting off all sources of drinking water at those five schools as a precaution. Preliminary findings do not suggest an immediate health hazard to the building occupants, the district said.
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"We are actively planning for the temporary provision of alternate water sources (i.e. bottled water) until such time as the drinking water is fully evaluated and repairs and/or treatment are completed," the district said in its statement. "We have distributed bottled water to each of the schools, nurses’ offices and other critical areas of the schools. The kitchen staff has been instructed to not use tap water for potable or cooking purposes."
The district said it is planning further testing and strategies to remedy the situation. The district said it had conducted the initial tests at some of the schools because of the age of the buildings, which increase the potential for water-related lead problems.
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Garden State Environmental, Inc. (GSE), a New Jersey environmental consulting firm with extensive experience in drinking water and related environmental issues, conducted preliminary and limited testing of 4 sources of potable water (i.e. water fountains, sinks, etc.) in each school.
The statement from the school did not reveal any information about overall lead levels found in the drinking water.
The N.J. Department of Environmental Protection said solder to seal copper pipes prior to 1987 is the cause of most lead in drinking water. As a means to reduce lead exposure, the DEP said that cold water faucets that haven't been used for several hours should run for 15 to 30 seconds before using for cooking or drinking.
