As Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools continues preparation for a wider return to in-person instruction at its campuses, issues with its drinking water quality have arisen.

Assistant Superintendent Patrick Abele shared a message with CHCCS families and staff Tuesday afternoon saying the district detected levels of copper and lead from a hand-washing sink at Ephesus Elementary School. The sink is in a classroom that’s gone unused since the school moved to remote learning last March. The discovery was made during water tests across the system’s campuses.

According to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, the detection was most likely the result of nearly a full year of under-utilization and stagnant water in the pipes.

“We are confident that these results do not suggest a larger issue with lead and copper across the community or within the school facilities prior to the pandemic,” said OWASA Executive Director Todd Taylor in a statement. “In fact, in 2020, we conducted testing of samples taken from 30 older homes known to have copper plumbing and lead solder. Results found no detectable levels of lead and no levels of copper above the EPA action level.”

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools confirmed it will continue conducting water tests and flushing pipes throughout the district in preparation for the reopening of schools. The district has already begun further testing of pipes, fountains, sinks and toilets within Ephesus Elementary School.

District staff will meet weekly with OWASA, according to Abele, as the flushing process is expected to extend into the spring.

The assistant superintendent also told families and staff CHCCS will work to upgrade all kitchens with industry-standard filtration for water used in food preparation. For drinking water, the district will provide bottled water for students and staff to drink at all facilities, while also encouraging them to bring in their own filled water bottles.

“The water in our sinks is absolutely safe for hand washing,” wrote Abele, “but our fountains have already been closed in accordance with our reopening plan, as we cannot be sharing water fountains during the pandemic.”

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools currently conducts Adapted Curriculum classes in person. Other cohorts of students are expected to return the week of April 19 for orientation, while all staff will be returning to classrooms on April 12.

 

Photo via WTOC.

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