However, at the Mather School, they say the fountains that had the lead in the water could have been turned on for as many as three weeks.
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Fountains in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms along the main office hallway will remain shut off, officials said.
“We will be shutting off all water fountains and sinks that are used for drinking or preparing food”, Interim Superintendent Christopher Tully stated in a letter to parents.
On Thursday, parents are set to find out if their children have been exposed to unsafe amounts of lead.
District officials said water fountains and classroom sinks in that wing remain off, with bottled and portable water being provided for students and staff.
A little over a week ago, tests revealed unsafe levels of lead in the drinking water at several Boston schools.
Turning the fountains on early was blamed on a lack of communication between employees of the school district’s facilities department and a contractor.
A New Jersey school district is taking measures to protect students after schools tested positive for elevated lead in the drinking water. One such sample contained lead at a level of 44,400 parts per billion. They are holding off on the plan to restore fountains at more schools until they develop a more detailed plan.
The fountains have since been turned off in all of those schools, as well as the other two schools involved in the testing program.
According to the district, fountains were turned on erroneously at Trotter Elementary School, Curely K-8 School, Lee Elementary School, Mather Elementary School, Boston Green Academy and Another Course to College.
Schools in Bergenfield receive their water from Suez North America, (formerly United Water), he said.
“It’s outrageous”, she added. All active water fountains were tested in April, and the results have been triple verified by Boston Public Schools, Boston Water & Sewer Commission and a third-party contractor.
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Louis Berger advised the district to replace old ceramic-type drinking fountains “that have been known to have a lead lined basin” and clean all faucet aerators.
