Garrison Forest School Required Water Testing

Dear Garrison Forest Community,

In compliance with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Garrison Forest recently completed its testing for lead in drinking water. Per new MDE regulations, this test must be conducted in public and nonpublic schools and must be repeated every three years.

As the safety of our community is paramount, we went beyond MDE requirements and tested all of our water outlets campus wide including non-drinking water outlets.

While the state regulation lead levels standard for potable drinking water is 20 parts per billion (ppb), we chose to test to the more stringent EPA standard of 15 ppb used by public water systems. 43 samples were found to have levels of lead above the EPA action level.

Upon receiving the results yesterday, we immediately took steps to address this issue. The majority of outlets with levels above the EPA standard were bathroom or lab sinks. While the sinks in these areas are not used as drinking water sources, we have posted "non-potable" signs on any sink with elevated lead levels to indicate that you should not drink from these water sources. According to the EPA, washing hands or otherwise using the water will not result in elevated lead levels in the body. For any affected dorm bathrooms, additional water dispensers have been ordered; in the meantime, we have stocked the bathrooms with an ample supply of bottled water. Water fountains that were found to have lead levels above the EPA action level were removed or disconnected this morning and will be replaced with bottled water dispensers before the start of classes on Tuesday. Sinks in science labs were previously labeled non-potable and will remain so. In addition to meeting the MDE standard of marking the remaining affected faucets non-potable, a plan is in place to address those faucets: the work to remedy these faucets began today. Once the work is complete, we will re-test those water sources and will communicate our progress.

We understand that you may have questions or concerns regarding these results. We have provided information below regarding the lead sample results and have included additional resources. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. We are fully committed to ensuring the safety and wellness of the members of our community and will work diligently to continue to address these issues.

Sincerely,

Chris Hughes
Head of School

ELEVATED LEAD WATER SAMPLE RESULTS

ACTION LEVEL (AL)
The state AL is 20 ppb for lead in drinking water in school buildings. Garrison Forest used the more stringent EPA AL of 15 ppb. The AL is the concentration of lead which, if exceeded, triggers required remediation.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF LEAD
Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Lead is stored in the bones and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the fetus receives lead from the mother's bones, which may affect brain development. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults.

SOURCES OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO LEAD
There are many different sources of human exposure to lead. These include: lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust or soil, some plumbing materials, certain types of pottery, pewter, brass fixtures, food, and cosmetics, exposure in the work place and exposure from certain hobbies, brass faucets, fittings, and valves. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 10 to 20 percent of a person's potential exposure to lead may come from drinking water, while for an infant consuming formula mixed with lead-containing water this may increase to 40 to 60 percent.

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TAKEN

"Non-Potable Water" signs have been placed above any sink with elevated lead levels.
Water fountains that were found to have lead levels above the EPA action level were removed or disconnected and will be replaced with bottled water dispensers before the start of classes on Tuesday.
Additional water dispensers have been ordered for dorm bathrooms. In the meantime, we have stocked the bathrooms with an ample supply of bottled water.

NEXT STEPS
A plan is in place to address affected faucets outside of science labs: the work to remedy these faucets began today.

TO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
Run your water to flush out lead: If water hasn't been used for several hours, run water for 15 to 30 seconds or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking. Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula: Lead from the plumbing dissolves more easily into hot water. Please note that boiling the water will not reduce lead levels.

For additional resources please, visit EPA's website at www.epa.gov/lead.