Delaware Dept. of Ed. Admits Missteps in Lead Testing

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - The Delaware Department of Education has acknowledged that errors from early in the school drinking water testing program have led to confusion.

Initial testing was done to identify issues of lead in school drinking water and to allow for follow-up and risk reduction. In a letter addressed to families, the Delaware Department of Education shared that "several water sources not meant for consumption- such as in a boiler room and from a science lab sink- were included in this test." Samples were also taken while school buildings were unoccupied during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The DOE began the sampling process in public Delaware schools in October 2020. The project was supported with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, which has also been providing training and serving as a technical resource.

By early 2022, every school had been sampled. Results were analyzed by the Delaware Public Health Laboratory and released in July on the Delaware Division of Public Health web page dedicated to the project. 

Now, Delaware is working with Batta Environmental Associates, Inc., a local environmental firm, to gather new samples that will then be analyzed by an independent lab. 

This time around, no sampling will be conducted during extended breaks in the schools. Every public school consumption point will be tested for lead, and non-consumption points that originally tested at or above 7.5 ppb will also be retested. Schools with elevated levels will be prioritized this month, and testing will begin Dec. 19.

In the initial study, three schools in the Indian River School District had results that would require additional monitoring and for the DPH and district to work together to reduce exposures. At George Washington Carver Elementary areas of concern included a kitchen prep sink and a fountain. Long Neck Elementary samples showed levels requiring reduced exposure at bottle fill stations, and Millsboro Middle School had these levels in cafeteria sinks.

According to David Maull, the public information officer from Indian River School District, the district was informed of these test results over the summer and immediately worked to remedy the problems. Maull shared with WRDE's Charles Reinert that additional samples were tested at these schools in early September, with new results indicating that all fixtures are now at acceptable levels according to state guidelines. Out of an abundance of caution for the health of students and staff, the district shut off several school water sources until they received further guidance from the state in today's DOE announcement of the new testing program.

Sampling is scheduled to be done by the end of 2023 and will be conducted in compliance with the EPA's 3Ts (training, testing, and taking action) and the Quality Assurance Project Plan. 

Results will be shared with the Delaware Department of Education, Division of Public Health, and districts no more than 14 days after sampling. They will include immediate steps and recommendations like replacing fixtures, adding signs, and further sampling. Consumption points at or above 7.5 ppb will be turned off or posted as "do not consume." The DOE and DPH will provide districts with remediation support. Members of the public can access results that will be regularly posted online at de.gov/schoolwater.

The cost of this study is estimated at $5,500 per school and is not to exceed the $1.5 million that the state is funding. Funding covers consumption points, but schools wishing to test non-consumption points and non-student buildings would have to pay themselves.

Planning will begin in 2023 for water sampling at early child care centers. Challenges facing these plans include having more locations, private property matters, and less remediation funding.