DeKalb County School District (DCSD) continues to test water sources to determine if they meet federal drinking water standards.
As of February 10, water samples have been collected at 94 schools (starting with the oldest elementary schools) and testing results have been received for 86 schools. Of the 86 schools, 48 schools have no water sources with lead content of zero or below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
Since testing began on September 20, 2016, DCSD and partner Atlanta Environmental Management (AEM) have tested water dispensed from sinks, water fountains, ice machines and other individual sources at schools and facilities.
In total at the campuses tested through Feb. 10, just 89 water sources in 38 schools exceeded federal safety standards. In each case the sink, water fountain or other source was turned off and efforts to make the necessary repairs were made. Once complete, water from those sources will be tested to ensure the quality is within federal standards.
This is an important distinction: water quality at each campus is measured by each individual source (Ex. water fountain, sink, etc.) at a location. One source does not automatically impact other sources at a given campus.
Testing will continue for the remaining campuses through summer 2017. To view the full testing schedule, visit the district’s Lead-In-Water webpage.