Results of water testing show district schools are safe

Update, Sept. 2, 2016: Additional testing over summer 2016 found one water source of concern. Read the full update.

Results of district water testing for lead found the water to be safe in all schools. The district’s certified plumber gathered samples from 47 buildings, including all 35 schools, in early May. Testing was deemed necessary when other school districts found issues with lead-contaminated water.

Results from a local certified testing lab found most schools to be under 0.002 parts per million. The highest reading in a school facility was 0.006, significantly below the Washington State Department of Health’s allowable limit of 0.020 parts per million, which is considered safe for drinking.

Although all schools tested well below the 0.020 allowable threshold, district professionals are doing additional testing throughout the district as a precaution. VPS is taking this proactive measure to identify and eliminate any potential sources of lead, no matter how small the amount.