The North Royalton School District participated in a new program to test drinking water throughout the district. The district tested the drinking water in accordance with a process that was outlined by the State of Ohio.
One hundred twenty two drinking fountains and faucets at the North Royalton High School, Albion Elementary School, Valley Vista Elementary School and Royal View Elementary were tested at the end of August. Since the Middle School was built after 1990, when lead was no longer used to make drinking fountains or in the connection of pipes, the Middle School testing was not necessary. The results were returned on September 10. Eight devices were tagged as having exceeded the allowable limits for lead, with is 15 micrograms per liter. Those faucets were shut off or covered.
A letter was sent out to parents on September 12, notifying them of the situation. “Due to the testing being conducted after a long period of inactivity of the device, the testing company believes that some of the devices with elevated levels for lead are due to not enough flushing of the system prior to testing. The water in the school kitchens which is used for preparing meals was also tested and determined to be safe,” according to School Superintendent, Greg Gurka.
The eight fountains/faucets affected are:
Valley Vista Elementary: Room 9 drinking fountain.
Royal View Elementary: East hallway drinking fountain.
Albion Elementary: Room 9, 10, 11, 12 16 and 33 drinking fountains.
The district will replace the devices, turn the water back on and retest again. No one will drink from the fountains until the testing proves them to be safe to drink again. Assistant School Superintendent, Jim Presot said that the problem is expected to be fully rectified within two to three weeks. He also noted that the district will be doing more extensive testing after those times where the schools are vacant for a long period of time. They will also be conducting random testing in the future.
Gurka noted that the “North Royalton water supply comes from the city of Cleveland’s municipal source and is tested frequently to ensure it meets federal standards. There are many possible reasons why an individual water fountain could be a source of higher lead concentrations, while the rest of a school’s fountains and sinks are found to be safe. We will work with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and use thorough sampling in order to isolate that problem and re-mediate it. Until we can do so, we will continue to operate cautiously with the safety of our students and staff as our highest priority. We appreciate your patience as we work to provide the best water quality for our students and staff at all of our buildings.” Presot noted that there is plenty of water for the students and staff, and, as always, students may bring in their own bottled water, if they so choose. Questions regarding the school district’s water system should be directed to Jim Presot at 440-582-9034.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer