In September 2016, a state law went into effect that requires all public school districts in New York to test water for lead. The law requires school districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis.
Regulations called for testing to take place again in 2020 (extended to June 30, 2021 due to COVID-19) and every five years thereafter, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner. The state established an action level of 15 micrograms of lead per liter, typically referred to as “parts per billion (ppb).” If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.
School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results—along with remediation plans, if required—on their official district website. Our results are below.
2021 Water Testing Results
Stillwater Central School District Elementary and Middle/High School water outlets were tested for lead in June 2021. The majority of outlets tested below the action level. There was one high lead level result in the Elementary School, a drinking water outlet, which has been taken out of service. There were two outlets in the high school that tested high. Those outlets have been designated as hand washing stations only, and signage has been displayed stating that.
Lead-free buildings
Lead-free, as defined by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, is based on the lead content of plumbing materials. Federal laws enacted in 1986, and updated in 2011, limit the amount of lead that can be used in new plumbing and fixtures. A building can be deemed lead-free if it was built after Jan. 4, 2014, or a New York State licensed Professional Engineer or Architect certifies it to be lead-free. Under New York’s new law, school districts are not required to conduct water testing in buildings designated as lead-free. The district has no buildings designated as lead-free, as defined by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act.