Buffalo Public Schools are awaiting completion of test results for about two thirds of its schools and their water sources. But on Tuesday, officials confirmed that a few sources within 18 schools showed signs of lead contamination at or above levels that, under state regulations, require action.
During a Tuesday afternoon news conference in Superintendent Kriner Cash's office, school officials reported that the results of tests on 2,300 water sources within 18 schools have been returned. Of those sources, which include sinks and drinking fountains, 68 were found to have lead levels of at least 15 parts per billion.
Five of those sources, Superintendent Cash said, were drinking fountains.
"A lot of them were just above the action level," said Yvette Gordon, Director of Safety and Health for the school district. "But we did have one of the outlets, that was in an area not frequently used, that was 1,300 (parts per billion)."
That source was identified as a fountain on the third floor of Olmsted at Kensington High School on Suffolk Street. Officials did not identify other schools where actionable lead levels were confirmed. Superintendent Cash said letters to parents would be in the mail Wednesday, explaining what the district knows to date.
Water outlets where actionable levels of lead were found have been deactivated and await remediation.
"We are doing what we are expected to do, taking immediate action when lead levels at the action level are found," Cash said. "We shut that sink down or that faucet down, we replace it and we retest."
The school district awaits results of tests from other schools. Only one high school, Leonardo DaVinci School on the D'Youville College campus off Porter Avenue, awaits the collection of samples. That is scheduled for Thursday, Gordon said.
Lead poisoning is linked to brain defects and stunted development in young children.
Last week, the Buffalo News reported 11 other public school districts, both urban and suburban, revealed actionable levels of lead in their respective water supplies: Clarence, Cleveland Hill, Depew, Fredonia, Hamburg, Lackawanna, Lockport, North Collins, Orchard Park, Silver Creek and Williamsville.
The announcement of lead test results by Buffalo Public Schools comes just one week after Mayor Byron Brown announced that test results on residential water samples found that supply to be safe.
