LEWES, Del. - The Cape Henlopen School District announced that water testing begins in its schools on March 8 and will continue through March 16. The district says testing will not disrupt classes and that results from the tests will be provided to the district on a rolling basis, after which it will communicate with families.
This is part of a lead water testing initiative that was launched in the state in December 2022, when the state Department of Education announced it had contracted with private firm Batta Environmental Associates to conduct lead testing in water in every school in the state. The Delaware Department of Education has previously acknowledged errors in earlier school drinking water testing that caused confusion surrounding results.
Earlier this month, a retest at Sussex Technical High School found elevated lead levels in a limited number of water sources, though the school says that these are in non-public areas that are not used for consumption.
The Cape Henlopen School District says it will launch a webpage dedicated to providing resources and updates. Additional information can be found on the state's website.