Test: Water Safe to Drink

Following a New York State mandate that schools test for lead contamination in the water they use, Richard Burns, the East Hampton School District superintendent, has announced in a letter that “the district is pleased to report that all drinking fountains were found to be within the guidelines” set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

J.C. Broderick and Associates, an environmental consulting firm, tested all 630 water sources at the three schools in the district. Of those, 83 were found to have levels above the guidelines. However, Mr. Burns pointed out that at the John M. Marshall Elementary School all were exterior hose outlets, while at the middle and high schools, they were outdoor hoses or faucets not used for drinking water.

Signs will be posted on all water sources with elevated levels of lead, indicating that the water must not be used for drinking. In addition, wrote Mr. Burns, “the district will develop a full remediation plan to replace or repair any part within the plumbing that is causing the elevated lead reading.”

In October 2016, the Bridgehampton and Amagansett Schools were found to have several faucets with lead levels above accepted E.P.A. guidelines. As part of their lead remediation plans, those schools have either shut off or replaced all contaminated water sources.