Search continues for source of lead in school's drinking water

Officials at the Groton Dunstable Regional School District are frustrated that after a month of testing and pipe flushing, they have still not discovered the source of lead in the high school's water supply.

While tests show only trace amounts of lead coming from 16 of the 20 tests sites, it is enough to force administrators to turn off spigots and offer bottled water for drinking and cooking in the one-year-old school.

''We do not know what the source of the lead is, but we have brought in experts and they are testing," said Alan Vervaeke, chairman of the Groton Dunstable Regional School Committee.

All municipal water supplies are required by the state Department of Environmental Protection to test water at regular intervals, and schools are required to test water monthly for a variety of substances. The lead was discovered during a routine test in late August.

According to Joe Ferson, spokesman with the Department of Environmental Protection, lead does show up in water, but not frequently. He said his department is repeatedly testing 20 sources of water in the high school building, and 16 of them are consistently testing at 18 parts of lead per billion parts of water.

Federal guidelines call 15 parts per billion an action level for lead. This level is considered a trace amount, but can have serious health effects on some people, especially children and pregnant women.

''No one in the school is using any water until the school can show that they are in compliance," said Ferson.

Craig Young, business manager for the school district, said, ''I don't think that the costs associated with the testing and bottled water will be huge. It is more unsettling that this is happening, rather than costly."

Young added that last year, shortly after the $35 million school opened its doors, the water was yellow due to the presence of iron. A filtration system was installed, and while the iron levels returned to normal, the water retained a slightly yellow color.

''I can't believe that we are dealing with water issues again," Young said. Last year, to ease the concerns of students and faculty, freestanding water dispensers were placed around the school. Dispensers are back this year.

Lead in water cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead consumed through drinking water can cause problems when it enters the bloodstream. Each individual reacts differently, but elevated levels of lead in the bloodstream can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and at extreme levels, seizures, coma, or death.

On Sept. 7, administrators notified students and their parents about the situation, along with the Groton Board of Health and the Department of Environmental Protection. The School Committee was not notified, and Vervaeke said school administrators have apologized for the oversight.

Susan Ware can be reached at ware@globe.com.