Water tests show no concern of lead in Ann Arbor Public Schools facilities

Two water fountains at Huron High SchoolBy Andrew Cluley- Communications Specialist

Lead contamination is not a concern for water in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. That’s the highlight from three sets of water samples tested by the certified lab affiliated with the Ann Arbor Water Treatment Services this spring. The results were shared with the Board of Education at their meeting last night.

Ann Arbor Water Treatment Services Manager Brian Steglitz says the results were what was anticipated, but he understands why it was important for the district to do the tests. “We realize there are a lot of concerns from parents,” Steglitz says. “It’s really important that they understand what their kids are consuming and putting into their bodies everyday.”

Steglitz hopes the city and Ann Arbor Public Schools can continue to work together to make sure there are no concerns over water in the schools. “This has been a great partnership and I think we want to continue to do that and we’re available to consult as the public schools develops their plans moving forward,” he says.

Ann Arbor Public Schools is developing an action plan in consultation with Steglitz. Interim Director of Physical Properties Jennifer Hein says the plan is completely proactive and isn’t a cause for concern. “We are going to be putting into place standard procedures for water sampling,” Hein says. “We’re going to be looking at a process for making sure all of our lines are flushed in all of our buildings on a regular basis, and we’re also going to be developing a document that’s going to have an inventory of all of the pipe, and what the pipe is made of in every single one of the facilities in our school district.”

In addition to these future actions, AAPS is replacing a water fountain at Logan Elementary School, and replacing pipes and a faucet leading to the sink in the Huron High School training room. Samples from both of these sources were below 10 parts per billion and were in the not actionable category, but the changes are being made in a proactive manner. A new filter is also being installed at A2 Steam at Northside to address water that can appear rusty and brown but is perfectly safe.

The AAPS District News welcomes thoughtful comments, questions and feedback.

All comments will be screened and moderated.

In order for your comment to be approved:

  • You must use your full name
  • You must not use  profane or offensive language
  • Your comment must be on topic and relevant to the story

Please note: any comment that appears to be spam or attacks an individual will not be approved.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.