SEQUIM — The Sequim School District — after discovering high levels of lead in water from sink fixtures at Helen Haller and Greywolf elementary schools — plans a public forum Thursday to talk about district efforts to mitigate the problem.
The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Sequim Middle School gymnasium, 301 W. Hendrickson Road.
Information about lead contamination will be presented, followed by a question-and-answer period.
Greywolf, Helen Haller
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, said Patsene Dashiell, district spokeswoman, on Friday.
These sinks all will be disabled immediately, she said.
Drinking fountains also were tested and do not contain lead in excess of the defined threshold — remaining safe and available for use by students, Dashiell said.
Parents of students at the two elementary schools were informed of the results of tests in an email Thursday.
Action must be taken when more than 10 percent of samples exceed 0.015 parts per million of lead in water, according to the state Department of Health.
The Sequim School District has not released data on how much lead was detected in the Sequim school water.
“We realize — with all the media attention around this issue — parents have questions and concerns about lead,” Dashiell said.
Tested earlier
The district initiated testing earlier this month at Helen Haller and Greywolf elementary schools.
Tests at other districts schools are expected to commence later this year.
The district is in the process of collecting a second round of samples from affected fixtures, according to the news release — a process that was expected to be completed by Friday.
The intent of the second round of sampling, according to the release, is to confirm the presence of lead in the fixtures themselves and at 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, Dashiell said.
The district has not completed testing at all sites because priority was given to the elementary schools, she said.
Next sites to be tested
The next site that will be sampled is Olympic Peninsula Academy, followed by Sequim Middle School and Sequim High School, Dashiell said.
Water testing will continue until all buildings have been tested and corrective actions are completed.
“We have a plan and we are proceeding with that plan,” Ann Renker, assistant superintendent, said Friday.
“We have consulted with a representative from the state Department of Health, who have approved our plan of action for testing.”
Sequim schools are supplied with water from the city of Sequim and the Clallam County Public Utility District.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
