Health Department finds lead in water fixtures at Mount Baker’s Deming Campus
The Washington State Department of Health found lead in multiple water fixtures used by students and staff for drinking and food preparation at the Mount Baker School District’s Deming Campus, including the junior high and high schools.
The district announced the results of the tests, which were conducted in December, in a press release Thursday and said that it is working to replace each unit that showed lead in concentrations greater than or equal to 10 parts per billion.
“The District is working closely with the State of Washington, Department of Health on permanent remediation activities,” the release stated. “In the meantime, fixtures have been designated with signs as either safe or unsafe for drinking as well as hand washing only based upon the 10 parts per billion standard, which is more conservative than mandated levels of 20 parts per billion lead.”
The test results at the junior high and high schools follow a similar finding at Harmony Elementary School from testing done in the spring of 2018, when some fixtures showed lead levels above 20 parts per billion, the release said. Like the plan for the junior high and high schools, any fixtures at Harmony that showed levels 10 parts per billion or higher have been replaced.
Tests done in December at Acme and Kendall elementaries did not find lead at levels above 20 parts per billion, the release stated. Full results of the tests are available on the district’s website.
The testing was done in response to the state legislature directing the Department of Health in 2017 to test for lead in drinking water at public schools in an effort to reduce children’s exposure.
The district recommended that parents concerned about their child’s exposure to lead should ask their provider about lead screening.
According to the mayoclinic.org, lead building up in the body, often over months or years, can cause lead poisoning, which can lead to serious health issues. Children younger than 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning. Symptoms to watch for in children, according to the website, include developmental delays or learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite or weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue, abdominal pain or vomiting, constipation, hearing loss and seizures.
This story was originally published January 24, 2019 at 3:45 PM.
