Amagansett School Will Filter the Water
Amagansett School Will Filter the Water
The Amagansett School Board, which took a water fountain in the gymnasium and six sinks out of service two weeks ago after lead was found in the water, took another step on Tuesday toward solving the problem.
The board resolved to spend $5,000 on water filters for six fountains, including the one in question and five others. Those five had not tested high for lead content.
“We would like to try those out, and send and retest the water. Then we could go back to using the fountain,” Eleanor Tritt, the school superintendent, said. “Not only that one, but five other locations as well, even though it’s not required. . . . It seems pretty straightforward.”
Sandra Nuzzi, an administrative clerk who researched the filters, said they would have to be changed every three to six months. “I’ll just add that as a procedure for the plumber to do quarterly, to make sure we are on top of it,” she said.
The four school board members in attendance all approved of the expense. “Better safe than sorry,” Kristen Peterson said.
Also on Tuesday, the board approved $11,000 for the purchase of materials for a new schoolwide program called Reading and Writing Fundamentals. The program was tried out earlier this year in the sixth grade and will be expanded after teachers reported positive results almost immediately. Maria Dorr, the school principal, said its mini-lessons helped students fine-tune their writing abilities and boosted their reading skills.
“Teachers are seeing the follow-through,” Ms. Dorr said before the board approved the expense. “Everybody would really love to bring the program into their classrooms.”