Lead Testing of Drinking Water

Fairview Elementary School

In October 2024, PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc. (PBS) performed drinking water sampling and analysis for lead at Fairview Elementary School in Fairview, Oregon. The testing was requested by Reynolds School District to meet requirements from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to conduct testing for lead in school drinking water systems.

Lead in Water Test Notes

• The lead in water Action Level is 15 parts per billion (ppb).
• Any fixture testing at or above the action level of 15 ppb is immediately removed from service and cannot be returned to service until it has been remediated and passed follow-up testing.
• A "ND" or "non-detect" test result indicates the sample measured below the minimum detection limit of [#] ppb.
• Test results equal to or greater than the Action Level of 15 ppb are highlighted in red and precede a "High" value in the "Initial Level" or "Final Level" column.
• Test results near the Action Level of 15 ppb (11.99 to 14.99 ppb) are highlighted in yellow and precede a "Med" (Medium) value in the "Initial Level" or "Final Level" column.

H.B. Lee Middle School

In September 2024, PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc. (PBS) performed drinking water sampling and analysis for lead at H.B. Lee Middle School in Portland, Oregon. The testing was requested by Reynolds School District to meet requirements from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to conduct testing for lead in school drinking water systems.

Edgefield Campus

In September 2024, PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc. (PBS) performed drinking water sampling and analysis for lead at Edgefield Campus, building A, G, H, I, J in Troutdale, Oregon. The testing was requested by Reynolds School District to meet requirements from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to conduct testing for lead in school drinking water systems.

Lead in Water Test Notes

• The lead in water Action Level is 15 parts per billion (ppb).
• Any fixture testing at or above the action level of 15 ppb is immediately removed from service and cannot be returned to service until it has been remediated and passed follow-up testing.
• A "ND" or "non-detect" test result indicates the sample measured below the minimum detection limit of [#] ppb.
• Test results equal to or greater than the Action Level of 15 ppb are highlighted in red and precede a "High" value in the "Initial Level" or "Final Level" column.
• Test results near the Action Level of 15 ppb (11.99 to 14.99 ppb) are highlighted in yellow and precede a "Med" (Medium) value in the "Initial Level" or "Final Level" column.

Reynolds School District Office

In October 2024, PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc. (PBS) performed drinking water sampling and analysis for lead at Reynolds School District Office in Fairview, Oregon. The testing was requested by Reynolds School District to meet requirements from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to conduct testing for lead in school drinking water systems.

Lead in Water Test Notes

• The lead in water Action Level is 15 parts per billion (ppb).
• Any fixture testing at or above the action level of 15 ppb is immediately removed from service and cannot be returned to service until it has been remediated and passed follow-up testing.
• A "ND" or "non-detect" test result indicates the sample measured below the minimum detection limit of [#] ppb.
• Test results equal to or greater than the Action Level of 15 ppb are highlighted in red and precede a "High" value in the "Initial Level" or "Final Level" column.
• Test results near the Action Level of 15 ppb (11.99 to 14.99 ppb) are highlighted in yellow and precede a "Med" (Medium) value in the "Initial Level" or "Final Level" column.

Click on the link below to view the results of the lead testing of drinking water for 2023-24.

• Alder Elementary School
• Davis Elementary School
• Hartley Elementary School
• Margaret Scott Elementary School
• Salish Ponds Elementary School
• Sweetbriar Elementary School

 Alder Elementary School

Davis Elementary School

Glenfair Elementary School

Hartley Elementary School

Margaret Scott Elementary School

Salish Ponds Elementary School

Sweetbriar Elementary School

Remaining work to be completed:

• Wilkes Elementary School needs filters installed or bubblers removed in Portables A1, A2 and B4.
• HB Lee Middle School needs filters added or bubblers removed in Rooms 607, 609 and 610. Work is needed on the bottle filler in the cafeteria.
• Reynolds High School has bubblers in the choir, band and stage areas. These passed water quality tests. However, will have filters installed or bubblers removed.
• Reynolds Middle School and Administration offices will be assessed further when ice/snow clears.

Note: All fixtures that have not passed testing are not being used.

• Bubblers were replaced at Wilkes Elementary School on Monday, August 15, 2016.
• Elkay filling stations are being installed and classroom bubbler faucets are being capped and decommissioned at Salish Ponds Elementary School. Work began on Tuesday, August 16, 2016.
• The priority for remediation work is: Alder, Glenfair, Sweetbriar Elementary Schools and Reynolds High School. Remediation work starts when the equipment, supplies and materials are received. Remediation work updates will be provided here regularly.
   

Final water test results were posted online at 4:47pm. The unit ug/L is equivalent to parts per billion. The EPA has established action levels of 20ppb for schools. Municipal water sources action levels are set by the EPA at 15 parts per billion or ug/L.

The drinking water testing results were received as of Wednesday, August 10, 2016.

A number of practices will be put into place:

1. Porcelain drinking fountains will be decommissioned and capped.  Although testing results were mixed, porcelain fixtures are aged, more likely to fail and replacement parts are hard to find, making repairs challenging and costly.
2. Bubble fountains in classrooms will either be decommissioned and capped or have under sink filtration systems installed.
3. Break room sinks will have water filtration systems installed.
4. All drinking water sources will be tagged to clearly display the dates and test results. The tags also have space to note future maintenance, inspections information.
5. Fixtures that failed water testing thresholds on initial tests will not be available for use.  Additional work will be required and the fixture will not be used until a clear test result is obtained. The process to repair, replace and/or locate the source of contamination will be ongoing and systematic, with reports made available as received.
6. All bathroom sinks, showers, fixtures in lab classrooms and janitorial closets are not intended for drinking water.  Informational signs will be installed noting the water source is for non-drinking water only and those sources will not be on any testing cycle.

Trends:

• The district standard for fountain installation has been Elkay Water Filling Stations for the past four years. All of those fixtures passed testing.
• Schools that do not have enough drinking water sources cleared and available for use will be provided 5-gallon water dispensers and cups or refillable water bottles for student and staff use.
• All water used for cooking or drinking will be from fixtures that passed or bottled water. 

Final water test results were posted online at 4:47pm.

Information posted prior to July 12, 2016

Although there are no water testing requirements for Oregon Schools, Reynolds School District will voluntarily be testing drinking water for lead in all our schools. 

The guidance provided by the Environmental Protection Agency guidance will be followed.
A professional lab will be utilized to test collected water samples.

The test results will be communicated to families and staff as soon as results are available. Results have not been coming in in the anticipated time frame, so the district is suspending use of drinking water sources and providing bottled water. A letter was sent to staff and parents on 7/12/16 (see below). Spanish translation will be available soon and sent and posted.

The District has retained the services of PBS Engineering and Environmental, a local firm with expertise in specialty testing.

The District received test kits and has begun collecting drinking water samples from all sources in order of the age of the building (oldest to newest). Sample collection is estimated to be complete on June 20, 2016.

Update 6/24/16:  Approximately 550 samples were submitted to the lab on June 21, 2016. Results are expected between June 27 and July 1, 2016. Approximately 30% of the samples collected will be re-collected, due to high sediment. The re-sampling started June 23, 2016 and will be completed within a few days, the results from the new samples are expected back within 7 days of submission.

Update 7/13/16:  Over 700 water samples are at the lab awaiting processing. We are not getting results by school as anticipated. The lab has started processing some samples from each district instead of doing one school or one district at a time.

For convenience as we near summer vacation, this web page will be utilized to provide updates about the work and the test results,  as they are available.

Information for Parents from the Center for Disease Control on Lead Exposure

Information from the Environmental Protection Agency on Protecting your Family from Lead Exposure

Multnomah County provides blood tests for lead exposure in children.

Water providers are required to test water.

Rockwood Water - Most Recent Water Quality Report

City of Gresham - Most Recent Water Quality Report

Portland Water Bureau - Most Recent Water Quality Report

City of Troutdale  - Most Recent Water Quality Report

City of Wood Village - Most Recent Water Quality Report