WATER TESTING INFORMATION
Notification of water testing results
The following are the water testing results for fall 2023.
In September 2016, a state law went into effect that requires all public school districts to test water for lead. The law requires school districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis.
The state established an action level of 15 micrograms of lead per liter, typically referred to as ‘parts per billion (ppb).’ To put this number into perspective, the NYS Department of Health uses the 15 ppb action level to promote remediation of a water outlet rather than to identify a health-based or exposure level. The new state process for lead testing in public schools is also stricter than the municipal standard.
If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level. School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results—along with remediation plans, if required—on the official district website.
Unadilla Valley Central School District notified all staff and parents/guardians of the new water testing requirement and continues to regularly test its water.
If you have any questions about lead exposure or testing for lead exposure, please contact your family physician or the Unadilla Valley’s School Based Health Center at 847-6050. If you have any questions about the test results and the remediation efforts, please contact Bill Bill Beadle, Director of Facilities at 607-847-7500, ext. 4126.