Lead Testing

Herkimer Central School is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff and guests. In accordance with recent state legislation, the district conducted testing for lead during the 2016-17 school year for all water outlets that could be used for drinking or cooking.

“First-draw” testing identified outlets in both buildings with lead levels greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb). All of these outlets were either taken out of service, or labeled with signs that they are not to be used for drinking water, during remediation.

Details about individual test results are available in the “More Information” sidebar. Please contact the superintendent’s office with any questions or concerns about this information.

Remediation Plan

Herkimer Central School District’s plan for remediating the water outlets found to be above the New York state action level of 15 parts per billion at its facilities is as follows:

1. All faucets and faucet supply tubes will be replaced
2. Once new faucets and supply tubes are in place, each outlet will be resampled with first-draw testing and not brought back online until they are shown to be below the action level, according to a report from a New York state ELAP-certified laboratory.

Lead-Free Buildings

Lead-free, as defined by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, is based on the lead content of plumbing materials. Federal laws enacted in 1986, and updated in 2011, limit the amount of lead that can be used in new plumbing and fixtures. A building can be deemed lead-free if it was built after Jan. 4, 2014, or a New York State licensed Professional Engineer or Architect certifies it to be lead-free. Under New York’s new law, school districts are not required to conduct water testing in buildings designated as lead-free. Herkimer Central School District has no buildings designated as lead-free, as defined by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

Additional information can be found in the Resources sidebar. For more information, contact the superintendent’s office at (315) 866-2230, ext. 1302.