SEQUIM — Testing initiated early this month by the Sequim School District indicates lead is present in actionable levels at fixtures at Helen Haller and Greywolf elementary schools, according to an email apparently sent by district officials to parents Thursday.
Sequim officials could not be reached for comment on the email, which a parent in the school district sent to the Peninsula Daily News at 4:28 p.m.
Earlier in the day, Patsense Dashiell, district spokeswoman, was asked about the status of lead testing in the district. She said she had no comment.
Action must be taken when more than 10 percent of samples exceed the action level of 0.015 parts per million of lead in water, according to the state Department of Health.
Data on how much lead was detected in the Sequim school water was unavailable Thursday.
The fixtures that tested high are sinks in five classrooms and three office areas at Greywolf Elementary and two hallway sinks at Helen Haller Elementary, according to the email.
These sinks all will be disabled immediately, according to the email.
Drinking fountains also were tested and do not contain lead in excess of the defined threshold — remaining safe and available for use by students, according to the email.
The district is in the process of collecting a second round of samples from affected fixtures, according to the email — a process expected to be completed by today.
The intent of the second round of sampling, the email said, is to confirm the presence of lead in the fixtures themselves and no other points in the schools’ water system.
Testing also will be conducted on other fixtures of the same age and type on campus beginning Monday, according to the email.
Testing at district schools began in early May, and the district has not completed testing at all sites, because priority was given to the elementary schools, according to the email.
The next site that will be sampled is Olympic Peninsula Academy, followed by Sequim Middle School and Sequim High School, according to the email.
Water testing will continue until all buildings have been tested and corrective actions are completed.
Sequim schools are supplied with water from the city of Sequim and the Clallam County Public Utility District.
