Lead in Drinking Water Update February 25, 2020 How We Got Here - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

February 25, 2020 Lead in Drinking Water Update

How We Got Here

• 2015: Public health crisis in Flint, MI

triggers nationwide conversation about lead in drinking water.

• December 2016: SWRCB Division of

Drinking Water requires local water providers to test schools’ drinking water if asked.

• April-June 2017: City of San Diego

conducts water sampling at SDUSD sites.

• All tested fountains with lead above 15

parts per billion (ppb) secured, remediated, or removed.

• July 2017 District implements 5 ppb

standard.

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City employee drawing first sample of water, April 2017

Current Status

• There are no known water outlets exceeding 5 ppb that have not

been resolved.

• All schools with any initial sample result exceeding 5 ppb (City or

District testing):

• Every drinking water outlet on those sites tested and remediated

as necessary.

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Lead in Drinking Water Samples 2,467 Drinking Water Outlets – Initial Sampling

• Action Taken –

Those 40 school sites with any initial sampling result above 5 ppb:

• All drinking

water outlets on site tested

• All fully resolved

to below 5 ppb

• Higher lead

content typically found in drinking water outlets with minimal use

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87% 12% 1% Less than 5ppb 5 - 15 ppb Greater than 15 ppb

Proposed Actions

• Provide drinking water solely through filtered water outlets.
• Point of use filters as close to water outlet as possible
• Replace drinking water fountains with strategically located, ADA compliant,

filtered Hydration Stations

• Hydration Station is a combination drinking fountain/bottle filling station
• Remove remaining drinking fountains - Fewer drinking water outlets, but of a higher

quality

• With bottle filling stations, water is more portable
• Confirmation testing after filter installation and random quality assurance testing
• f filtered outlets to ensure continued filter performance.
• Discontinue whole-site testing in advance of new unit and filter installation.
• Restate the District’s drinking water policy on lead content.

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Proposed District Drinking Water Policy

All drinking water outlets will provide filtered water that is expected to reduce lead in water content to below one part per billion. Through continued quality assurance sampling of water, any water outlet that tests for lead content above five parts per billion will be immediately removed from service.

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Impact of Proposed Policy

• Elimination of drinking fountain

“bubbler” in elementary classroom

• Sink to remain for hand washing, etc.
• Successful completion of Clay ES Pilot
• Initial outfitting performed by PPO

and FPC

• Funded by Prop YY
• PPO taking lead in conversions
• FPC installing in new buildings and as

part of Whole Site Modernizations

• Cost to maintain filters
• Approximately $200 per filter per year

(Approx. $400,000 annually)

• Added cost to General Fund/Routine

Restricted Maintenance Account

• Added benefits
• Filtering other possible contaminants
• Water is more portable - promoting

hydration

• Potential reduction in plastic single use

bottles

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Clay Elementary students at new Hydration Station

Implementation of Proposed Policy

• Filters added to existing water outlet locations in:
• Kitchen for food preparation (not required for dish washing)
• Nurse’s office
• Teachers’ Lounge/Staff break area
• Shift from ~10,000 unfiltered water fountains to ~ 2,000 Filtered

Hydration Stations. Typical locations:

• Cafeteria/multi-purpose room
• Gymnasium
• Strategic locations throughout campus to meet 1 per 150 people (Plumbing

Code)

• On upper floors of multi-story buildings
• Exterior locations near play areas and athletic fields

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Timeline

• Hydration Station program
• 48 stations installed @ 8 Elementary/K-8 sites
• To date, Clay is the only school with all non-filtered fountains removed.
• All sites complete by August 2024
• As lead has a greater impact on the youngest children, implementation will

follow:

• Elementary Schools, then
• Middle Schools, then
• High Schools

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Prioritizing Health

• Plan developed to prioritize student and staff health
• PPO, FPC, Nursing and Wellness, Legal, Industrial Hygienist, CALPIRG
• Safety key points:
• Schools with the highest chance of lead in water dealt with first
• All with initial sampling results > 5 ppb resolved
• Flushing outlets helps
• Daily/weekly flushing
• Concentrated effort over longer periods (return from winter/summer breaks)
• Elementary before Secondary
• Lead ingestion more impactful to young children
• District has been conservative
• District standard 3x more stringent than Federal standards
• Early on where high levels of lead encountered in water outlets, blood testing did not

demonstrate school of lead contributing to high blood lead level

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Questions and Answers