WASA Tests Water in Schools; DCPS Removes Sink at Eliot JHS

D.C. Public Schools removed the sink from Room 109 at Eliot Junior High School (1830 Constitution Ave. NE), after WASA found elevated levels of lead in the water coming out of that sink. WASA found 50 parts per billion (ppb) of lead in water coming out of that sink; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard for lead is 15 ppb.

On Feb. 14, WASA tested three water fountains and two sinks at every public school in the city. Of those sources tested in our local elementary, junior high or senior high schools, the sink at Eliot was source where elevated levels of lead were found. The test used was sensitive enough to detect lead at levels greater than 2 ppb.

Citywide, 744 of the total 752 samples contained either no detectable quantities of lead or levels below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "action level" for residences of 15 parts per billion (ppb). In addition to the sink at Eliot, WASA found excessive levels of lead at a sink at Balou Senior High (16 ppb), a sink at Bell Multicultural Senior High (160 ppb), a fountain at Douglass Altnerative Education School (43 ppb), a fountain at Dunbar Senior High (22 ppb), a sink at Kenilworth Elementary (109 ppb), a sink in the kitchen at Woodson Senior High (110 ppb) and a fountain at the Penn Center administrative offices (18 ppb).

At Eliot, WASA found no detectable amounts of lead in the sink in the kitchen, in the drinking fountain next to the office, in the drinking fountain next to Room 102 or in the fountain next to Room 104.

At Miner Elementary (601 15th St. NE), no detectable levels of lead were found at the sink in the Nurse Aid Room, at the sink in the kitchen (2nd sink from freezer), in the fountain beside room 148, in the drinking fountain next to room 136, or in the fountain to the right of room 112.

At Browne Junior High (850 26th St. NE), WASA found 3.5 ppb of lead in the sink in a boy's bathroom, 2.1 ppb in the sink in a girl's bathroom, no detectable levels in the fountain to the right of room 131 in the west wing, in the fountain to the right of Room 204, or in the fountain to the left of Room 103.

At Spingarn Senior High (2500 Benning Rd. NE), no detectable levels were found at the sink to the right of the window in room 115, in a sink in a boy's restroom, in a fountain beside room 126, in the drinking fountain across from the guidance suite, or in the fountain across from room 108.

I asked Gregory Williams, the D.C.P.S. facilities manager, what the school system's plans are for testing the remaining fountains and sinks. He responded in an e-mail Friday that all drinking fountains and sinks in schools were tested during the 1993-1994 school year and replaced or took out of service all fixtures that showed elevated lead levels. Mr. Williams said the Department of Health has requested that WASA test sinks and drinking fountains in Pre-K and Kindergarten classroom, to target the high-risk population of children 6 and under. §